The Brown Environmental Leadership Lab (BELL) combines concepts in environmental studies, ecology and leadership, with a mission of developing socially responsible leaders. At BELL, you’ll embark on a journey of learning and reflection while building community with the fellow student environmentalists in your program.

Non-credit

Residential

Accepts International Students

Financial Aid

Final project

Application fee waiver

Experience the Land of the Midnight Sun for two spectacular weeks, where you’ll explore Alaska Native history and cultural preservation as well as arctic, marine and terrestrial ecosystems. You’ll investigate climate change’s impact on culture, economics and the environment while learning about socially responsible leadership.

Your Alaskan adventure begins in Anchorage, where you’ll have the unique opportunity to learn Alaskan history from an Alaska Native perspective. You’ll then travel down the Kenai Peninsula and take a boat across Kachemak Bay to spend three nights at the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies’ Peterson Bay Field Station. This remote science center, nestled in coastal woodlands—truly breathtaking and accessible only by boat—is where you’ll interact with species from bald eagles to sea otters to starfish, to name a few.

You will spend time learning about Alaska’s important cultural and ecological history at site visits to the Anchorage Museum, Alaska Native Heritage Center, Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, Cook Inlet Tribal Center and Matanuska Glacier.

Over the course of your BELL experience, you’ll also identify a pressing issue that you’re passionate about. With support from instructors and peers, you’ll develop an Action Plan to apply your new leadership knowledge to this issue when you return home.

BELL students are expected to reduce their cell phone use, allowing them to fully engage with the community and beautiful surroundings. By breaking ties to these technologies, you will be able to be more mindful of the natural environment and build more intentional friendships. On-site staff will collect students’ phones and return them during specific parts of the program, including off-site field trips. While this may be an unfamiliar experience for many students, it is often an aspect of the trip students appreciate most. We expect students to plan ahead to be without their cell phones during most of the program, however the group will always be reachable via the program cell phone, which will be held by the on-site staff. The phone number to the program cell phone will be provided to families of accepted students prior to the program.

Some site visits listed are weather-dependent and subject to change. You can expect a moderate level of physical activity every day; be ready to get dirty as you’ll be out and about — rain or shine. A specific packing list will be provided for accepted students.

Student Life
Most meals will be prepared and eaten in a college dining hall or residence hall. Some meals will be prepared collaboratively by students and staff. Note: All food is ordered in advance, so program staff must be notified of any dietary restrictions or allergies by April 12, 2023. Students can notify program staff by filling out the medical health history form, which accepted students receive in their student portals.
Program staff live on site and are available 24 hours a day to provide support and supervision.

BELL: Alaska

Jul 19 - Aug 01

2 weeks

Residential

6628 USD

If you are an international student or a U.S. student without health insurance, you will automatically be enrolled in Brown’s limited coverage accident insurance plan for the duration of your program. An additional fee of $80 for this coverage will be added to your account. This plan has limited coverage in the event of an accident or emergency illness while on campus or during program-sponsored activities and is subject to a deductible.

NOT INCLUDED IN PROGRAM FEES:
Travel to and from Brown’s campus or a BELL or BEE program site.
Pre/post-program accommodations.
Course materials and textbooks (if required).
Additional spending money (for shopping, off-campus snacks, purchases of a personal nature, etc.).
Costs associated with potential public health guidelines, which may include, but are not limited to, travel interruption and quarantine. We recommend families consider purchasing travel/trip insurance.

Financial Aid

You may request an application fee waiver for one of the following reasons:
- You are approved for a free or reduced school lunch program in the U.S. for the current year, including need-based school-wide free lunch programs under the Community Eligibility Provision. (If you attend a private school where meals are included in the tuition fee, you may qualify for a free/reduced lunch waiver if you receive a significant need-based scholarship in order to attend your school.)
You are enrolled in a school in the Providence Public School District (PPSD) in Rhode Island.
- You are associated with an official Brown Pre-College partner organization and have been named a Partner Scholar Nominee by that organization. (You will need to select your partner organization from a drop-down list when requesting a partner fee waiver. Only listed partner organizations are eligible.)
- You are the dependent of a benefits-eligible Brown University employee who has been employed by the University for at least six months.

Brown Pre-College offers a variety of scholarship opportunities. Each scholarship type has eligibility requirements.

Sibley Scholarships are need-based awards limited to students who are U.S. Citizens or U.S. Permanent Residents, or hold undocumented or DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) status and are enrolled in a U.S. high school. Scholarship funds are limited and disbursed on a first-applied-first-awarded basis until the funds are exhausted, which could happen before the scholarship deadline. If eligible, we encourage you to apply as soon as you complete your admission application. We cannot guarantee that all applicants who apply for aid will receive scholarship assistance.
PPSD Scholarships are limited to students attending a school in the Providence Public School District, in Providence, RI.
Partner Scholarships are limited to students who are identified and nominated by partnering organizations.
Brown Employee Dependent Scholarships are limited to dependents of Brown University benefits-eligible staff and faculty who have been employed by the university for at least six months.
We do not have any scholarship opportunities available to international students for summer 2023.

Brown Pre-College does not provide merit scholarships.