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Frequently Asked Questions:

Campus Leadership Courses

Which Leadership courses take place on campus?

All courses except BELL are held at the main Brown campus in Providence, Rhode Island.  These courses are Civil Rights, Conflict Resolution, Global Engagement, Women & Leadership, Global Health and Social Change.  The BELL courses take place at Brown’s Haffenreffer reserve in Bristol, Rhode Island.

How are Leadership Institute courses different from regular Pre-College courses?

• 4.5 hours of class each day – most Pre-College courses meet for 3 hours a day
• You’ll spend one day on a low-ropes course with your class
• We hold a Closing Program for parents on the last day of the course
• You’ll write an Action Plan about an issue that’s important to you, and present it to your family at closing
• Community Time – you’ll gather 2 or 3 times a week outside of class to discuss current events, work on leadership skills, or participate in a fun activity

Who is eligible to take Leadership courses?

Leadership Institute courses, with the exception of Leadership for Social Change, are open to all high school students, from 9th graders through graduated seniors.

Leadership for Social Change is open to students who have graduated from 10th, 11th or 12th grades, and have completed a Leadership Institute course, or otherwise demonstrate a deep commitment to social change through volunteer work or other forms of community engagement.

What is a typical day like?

How much homework is there?

You’ll have between 1-2 hours of reading or other homework most days

How many students are in each class? What are they like?

Most courses are capped at 25 students, except Leadership and Global Engagement, which has two sections of 18 students each.  (The Global Engagement course is very popular, so this lets us accept more students while keeping the individual classes small.)  Usually there are slightly more girls than boys.  Leadership students come from all over the U.S. and the world, and range from entering 10th graders to graduated seniors.

Can I receive college credit?

Just as with regular pre-college mini courses, Leadership courses are non-credit.  This helps you concentrate on learning and the process of scholarship, not your final grade.  All students who successfully complete their course will receive a certificate of completion.

Will I be graded on my work? 

We do not grade students’ work.  Rather, your progress is evaluated during conferences with your instructors and in comments on your written work. 

Which leadership skills will I learn?

• Identification and analysis of personal leadership style
• Interpersonal communication
• Public speaking
• Group problem solving
• Diversity and leadership
• Individual courses may teach additional skills like conflict mediation

How much money should I bring?

You will need to purchase a coursepack, which contains your class reading materials.  These usually cost $30-$40.  Other than coursepacks, the amount of money to bring largely depends on your normal spending habits: obviously, students who enjoy eating off campus and shopping will need more money than those exclusively eating in the dining hall.  When figuring how much money to bring, consider the following: laundry, movies, dining out, bus and cab fares, postal service, toiletries, snacks, magazines, and transportation home.

Is there a Closing Program?

We hold a closing program from 12:30-1:45 pm on the final Friday of the course.  You will present your action plan to a small group of students and family members.  It is an opportunity for your family and friends to hear what you’ve learned and how you want to put it into action in your home community. 

What is the Action Plan?

During the second week of your course, you will pick an issue that is important to you and develop a plan for addressing that issue.  We encourage you to think about some topics before you come to campus, but most students don’t actually know what their action plan will be until they start working on it in class.  Your instructors will help you design an action plan that fits your interests and skills.

What are some examples of Action Plans?

Some examples of past action plans are:

• Writing letters about environmental issues to the school or local newspaper
• Organizing a school awareness day about Hurricane Katrina
• Starting a school community service club
• Convincing a high school to buy sweatshop-free athletic uniforms
• Volunteering for an after-school tutoring program
• Organizing a National Honor Society canned food drive
• Writing a play for Drama Club about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

For more information on how we support students’ action plans after the summer is over, please visit our Post Summer page.