Brown established the Fund in 2007 as one outcome of a 2006 report issued by the Brown University Steering Committee on Slavery and Justice, which investigated the University’s historical relationship to the transatlantic slave trade. The committee recommended that Brown formalize its commitment to improving the quality of education for K-12 students in Providence. Each year, the fund provides sustainable financial support for initiatives that promote academic excellence and success for current and future generations of K-12 students in Providence.

In July 2020, Brown fully funded a permanent $10 million endowment for the fund. As an endowment, the fund will provide for annual spending in support of initiatives, which will ensure sustainable financial support and enable continuous improvement to teaching and learning in Providence. With the original $10 million in principle, Brown expects an annual payout of $400,000 to $500,000 that will go to supporting Providence schools and students. As an endowment, the fund will grow over time, and annual payouts will increase correspondingly.

A Public Education Committee, which includes representatives of Brown and the Providence community, makes recommendations to the University president on how funds will be used to best support Providence students. The president makes decisions on the recommendations with the advice and consultation of the Corporation of Brown University, Brown’s governing body.

Money from the fund can be used to support any Providence public school in alignment with Providence Public School District priorities. To date, funding has supported a wide range of initiatives, which support both individual schools and the district as a whole.

The mayor of the City of Providence and the superintendent of the Providence Public School District serve as ex-officio, non-voting members of the Public Education Committee and ensure the group is informed of city and district priorities.

The Fund for the Education of the Children of Providence is specifically dedicated to Providence in line with the recommendations of the Report of the Brown University Steering Committee on Slavery and Justice. The fund is one among dozens of many longstanding and new community engagement efforts led by Brown faculty, staff and students that support students in Providence and across Rhode Island. The Swearer Center organizes a range of community engagement activities, including mentoring programs. The Annenberg Institute for School Reform works closely with stakeholders to improve the quality of schools and the experiences of students while producing research that helps schools confront problems such as opportunity inequality and learning loss. Brown’s Department of Education embeds Master of Arts in Teaching students in classrooms as teachers for a full school year.

The membership of the committee is structured to maximize collaboration and partnership between Brown, PPSD and the greater Providence community, in service to advancing educational equity and success for PPSD students. 

Standing members of the committee include:

• Vice President for Community Engagement and Executive Director of the Swearer Center (Chair)
• Members of the Brown community:
  • The President, or designee
  • The Director of the Annenberg Institute for School Reform
  • The Chair of the Department of Education
  • The Assistant Dean for Equity Initiatives and University K-12 Engagement (who presides over the meetings in the absence of the Chair)
• Members representing PPSD and its fiduciary for The Fund:
  • The Superintendent of the Providence Public School District, or designee
  • The Mayor of the City of Providence, or designee 
  • Education Program Officer, Rhode Island Foundation 

Additional members serve 2-year terms and may be renewed for a subsequent second term. Members include:

• PPSD students (2)
• PPSD teachers, school building personnel, youth-serving nonprofit representatives (2)
• Members of the Greater Providence community (2) 
• Brown Undergraduate Student (1) and Graduate Student (1)

In addition to formal members of the PEAC, the Chair may invite additional community or campus participation in PEAC meetings. A designee of the Vice President for Community Engagement staffs the committee.

Members of the Brown University community or the greater Providence community interested in serving on the committee should email fundforchildren@brown.edu.

The committee will engage members of the Providence community on an ongoing basis. This includes a survey distributed every three years that provides an assessment of Brown’s K-12 education initiatives to ensure their continued alignment with the priorities of the Providence Public School District.