Howard R. Swearer International Service Fellowship
The Howard R. Swearer Public Service Fellowship has been established through contributions in memory of Howard R. Swearer, the fifteenth President of Brown University. The Fellowship reflects President Swearer's dual commitment to public service and international issues. The Swearer Fellowship is a full-time, summer fellowship for current sophomore, junior and senior students in the College who want to spend the summer pursuing international service work. The work can be of the student's own design or can be a pre-existing internship. Funds may not be used to pay fees for service programs nor may it be used for tuition.
The Fellowship provides up to $3,500 to cover student's costs. The Fellowship is intended to enable individuals to undertake a public service project in any international context, although work pursued in developing or underdeveloped countries will be prioritized. The project may involve working with an existing not-for-profit development or relief organization, a government agency, or may involve initiating a new effort within a developing or underdeveloped community. Projects may focus on education, health care, technology, the environment, social justice, housing, agricultural development, or other development and relief services.
The Swearer International Fellowship Program has been designed to advance a vision affirmed by the 2008 report of Brown’s Task Force on Undergraduate Education, which argues for “…a more inclusive concept of education – indeed, one so inclusive that conventional distinctions between general education and the concentrations, between the curricular and the extracurricular, even between classroom and community, need to be rethought. The Fellowship is also one of many ways in which students will be provided more international experiences in ways that better prepare them to be global citizens.
Criteria
- Applicants must demonstrate a commitment to and an understanding of public service and international issues. This commitment can be demonstrated through previous work or a portfolio of course work.
- A letter of recommendation from a faculty member or other experienced mentor is required to verify the applicants preparation to undertake the proposed work.
- Applicants must intend to pursue this project for at least ten weeks.
- The proposal must receive strong support from the international organization sponsoring the work or from the community in which the project will be established.
- Students will submit a reflective essay at the conclusion of their work.
Selection
A selection committee comprised of faculty, staff, and community members will review proposals. The selection committee will use the above criteria in selecting applications.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to meet with Alan Flam, director of the fellowship, prior to preparing an application. Applications will be screened according to the quality of their ideas and presentation.
Swearer International Service Fellows may receive additional financial support from other sources but may not receive other Brown University funding (e.g. Smoke Internships, Royce or Starr Fellowships, UTRAs, or assisted internships, etc.) at the same time or for the same work as their Swearer Fellow work.
Deadline: March 15, 2010 by 5pm
On-line application will be posted on the Swearer Center web sitewww.swearercenter.brown.edu by January 4, 2010.