Status: Substantially Completed, Ongoing

• Through Engagement Preparedness Days (EPD), the Swearer Center trained 465 students in AY 24/25 and 312 in AY 25/26. EPDs are designated in-person sessions held at the start of each semester to help students complete the requirements before they begin working with community partners, such as the Providence Public School Department (PPSD).

Status: Substantially Completed, Ongoing

• The Swearer Center sponsors an annual Community-Engaged Research and Teaching Retreat. In 2025, co-hosts included Advance Rhode Island Clinical and Translational Research, the Division of Research, the Office of Community Engagement, the Office of the Dean of the Faculty, the School of Public Health Office of Community Engagement and the Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning.

Status: Significant Progress

• The Swearer Center provides student groups and instructors an asynchronous student-focused orientation module to Providence. 
• A two-part Braiding Knowledges: Understanding Indigenous Research Methods and Tribal Engagement at Brown (Native American and Indigenous Studies Initiative) workshop introduced faculty, staff and postdoctoral fellows to key concepts around decolonial and indigenous methodologies in the Northeast. 
• The university committed to strategies and actions to deepen understanding and strengthen relationships with tribal and Indigenous peoples of this region. A Status Report was published in May 2026. Stolen Relations, led by a History faculty Linford Fisher, is an example of an ongoing collaborative project with several tribal partners.
• The School of Public Health offers community-engaged learning opportunities that prepare students to partner effectively with local communities. These include training and preparation workshops, such as the Community-Engaged MPH Practicum workshops, as well as courses that integrate community engagement into public health education and practice.

Status: Significant Progress

• Community Engaged Data and Evaluation Collaborative projects are developed in partnership with community organizations to respond to community-identified data and evaluation needs. 
  Sponsoring units: Annenberg Institute, Brown University Library, Center for Computation and Visualization, Data Science Institute, Department of Africana Studies, School of Professional Studies, School of Public Health, Watson School of International and Public Affairs.
• The Brown Arts Institute launched innovative community-based arts learning and creative engagement opportunities through programs such as the BAI Teaching Arts Studio and the BAI Director’s Forum. These initiatives created collaborative spaces for experienced and aspiring artists, educators, and community members to build connections, strengthen their artistic practice, and explore teaching artistry and performance rooted in Rhode Island’s arts and cultural landscape. In partnership with organizations such as the Wilbury Theatre Group, participants engaged in interactive workshops, discussions, and experiential learning opportunities that blended theoretical study with hands-on creative exploration. 

Status: Significant Progress

• CEDEC has responded to 205 community-identified projects as of July 2026. 
  Sponsoring units: Annenberg Institute, Brown University Library, Center for Computation and Visualization, Data Science Institute, Department of Africana Studies, School of Professional Studies, School of Public Health, Watson School of International and Public Affairs.
• The Swearer Center, in collaboration with the Student Activities Office (SAO), gathers information on students' interests and capacities to apply their skills to support the mission and work of local community-based agencies through a survey.

Status: Significant Progress

• Several departments participating in the Community-Engaged Department Pilot Program have advanced this priority through innovative initiatives. Examples include Psychology and Human Behavior expanding community-engaged learning opportunities for trainees, French and Francophone Studies developing a community-engaged capstone experience, and the Department of Education convening a community of practice to support faculty integrating community engagement into their teaching. 
• The Center for Career Exploration and Swearer Center collaborated to pilot expansion of iProv for Fall ‘25 with 45 community partners. The expansion continued in Fall ‘26. 
• CEDEC supports community-engaged experiences for students in select academic programs and courses, both undergraduate and graduate 
  Sponsoring units: Annenberg Institute, Brown University Library, Center for Computation and Visualization, Data Science Institute, Department of Africana Studies, School of Professional Studies, School of Public Health, Watson School of International and Public Affairs.
• In Spring 2026, the Swearer Center, Sheridan and the Deputy Dean of the College began offering a Community-Engaged Course and Capstone Design series to encourage expansion.
• The School of Public Health (SPH) provides funding to support Master of Public Health (MPH) practicum experiences and other community-based placements, enabling students to gain hands-on public health experience while contributing to the work of local community organizations and partners.
• The Ruth J. Simmons Center for the Study of Slavery & Justice summer practicum for Masters of Art students as well as academic year positions. 

Status: Significant Progress

• The Assistant Dean for Equity Initiatives and K–12 Partnerships, a joint role between the Division of Pre-College and the Office of Community Engagement, expanded coordination of K–12 engagement across Brown. The position strengthens alignment among campus partners, enhances collaboration with schools and youth-serving organizations and supports a more strategic approach to K–12 partnerships, including community-engaged teaching and learning.

Status: Significant Progress

• The Vice President of Community and community-engaged staff have presented and shared resources with every campus stakeholder group, including students, staff, faculty and alumni. Presentations have included to groups such as the Corporation, Chairs and Directors, President’s Staff Advisory Council and Administrative Leaders Group.

Status: Emerging Progress

• The Health Equity Scholars Program provides financial support, mentorship and leadership development to MPH students, including Rhode Islanders committed to addressing health issues affecting Rhode Islanders.
• The Watson Equity in Policy Scholars Program offers a complementary MPA model that connects policy education, equity-focused research and community-engaged practice. 
• The Urban Education Fellowship provides loan forgiveness to up to 10 MAT and UEP students each year who remain in the local community for at least 3 years and serve urban students and schools.

Status: Emerging Progress

• The School of Public Health Community Engagement in public health practice workshop series, summer workshop series for Master’s of Public Health students and presentations to seminar students for their applied practice experience. 
• The Swearer Center publicizes the opportunity for faculty/academic units to prepare their students through two asynchronous modules (an orientation to engaging in Providence and a mandatory reporter training) as well as in-person workshops and walking tours organized each semester. 
• Engagement Preparation Days at the Swearer Center provide clearance checks and core training for students engaging through CLBR courses and/or faculty-led community-engaged research. 

Status: Emerging Progress

• The Swearer Center piloted new guidance and template for agreements when students are producing graded work to benefit partner organizations.
• Education Department’s CBLR instructor guide. 
• Swearer Center Engaged Teaching and Research website. 
• Community-Based Learning and Research (CBLR) video. 
• SPH Promising Practices Speaker series highlights partners and faculty/staff and their approaches to research or education. 

Status: Emerging Progress

• The Community-Engaged Department Pilot Program is supporting departmental teams around the goals they identified, including policies related to rewards and recognition.
• Consulted with engaged faculty, chairs, FEC members, as well as relevant academic administrators, to develop strategies and buy-in for advancing this goal, building on recommendations from the CEC’s Engaged Scholarship Committee. 
• Senior administration and multiple department chairs supported additional planning related to departmental policies, standards and criteria that recognize public and community engagement. 

Status: Emerging Progress

• The Swearer Center Community-Based Learning and Research (CBLR) Course Mini-Grants cover honoraria. 
• Walking tours engage and compensate community experts. 
• Speaker honoraria to workshop co-facilitators at the School of Public Health. 
• A Compensation Guide was created and shared with engagement staff across Brown.

Status: Emerging Progress

• Community-Based Learning and Research (CBLR) mini-grants: The Swearer Center provides mini-grants to undergraduate and graduate course instructors at Brown to support the implementation of high-impact community-engaged learning experiences. In the past two academic years, 39 mini-grants supported 37 courses offered in 20 departments and programs. 
• CBLR Fellows work with interested faculty to develop and implement community-engaged courses. Fellows supported 28 distinct courses in 15 departments and programs (some in both 2024-25 and 2025-26).
• Community-Engaged Department Pilot Program supported departments with related teaching and learning goals.
• Presented to the College Curriculum Council members about CBLR so as they review new or revised courses, they can identify courses aligned with CBLR criteria. Swearer is proposing revised criteria for CBLR this year, providing another opportunity to discuss them with the CCC. 

Status: Emerging Progress

• Coordination with the College and other undergraduate research fellowship staff to synchronize and share information about program timelines, so students can make better decisions around involvement. 
• Community Engaged Data and Evaluation Collaborative includes multiple academic and co-curricular programs, e.g., MPA Policy-in-Action, MPH practicum, Data Fluency Certificate and Engaged Scholarship Certificate. 

Status: Emerging Progress

• Developed and disseminated a template release and license agreement for community-engaged courses in which students’ coursework is shared with community organizations. 
• The CEC’s Engaged Scholarship Committee developed recommendations to address faculty promotion and tenure standards and criteria, a critical policy affecting CE. The university submitted a proposal to the Modernizing Academic Appointment and Advancement (MA3) Challenge.