With a focus on how to be a good neighbor, new Brown initiative prepares students for off-campus living

As part of its outreach to students, BLOC spotlights seasonal farmers markets, neighborhood festivals and cultural celebrations. Students are also invited to connect with their neighborhood associations and consider ways to get involved, whether by attending a meeting, volunteering at an event or staying informed about local initiatives.

"The hope is that they're learning how to connect with their neighborhood associations, have a voice and understand why that matters," Jordan said. "These are skills students will carry with them forever - skills that help them become great neighbors and engaged citizens. That's a big part of what being a student at Brown is all about."

Brown computer science student Kyle Wisialowski began living off campus in 2024 during his senior year and said he enjoyed having his own space and yard. Now a graduate student entering his second year as a Providence resident, he believes moving off campus and working in the city has helped him feel more integrated into the community.

"I started to notice that after I got an off-campus job, I thought, 'Oh, this is kind of cool - I actually feel like I live in Providence,'" Wisialowski said. "Meeting people outside of Brown made the city feel more like home."

The final phase focuses on building neighborhood relationships through proactive communication and neighborly acts. To help open lines of dialogue, BLOC provides students with cards featuring prompts like name, phone number and concentration as simple tools to make introductions with neighbors more intentional.

This month, program leaders hosted a block party on campus, bringing together more than 300 Brown and Providence community members for a family-friendly event that featured music, dinner, yard games and more. Now in its second year, the fall event is designed to create a welcoming space for connections between off-campus students and local residents and families, Jordan said.

"We've heard stories of students meeting their neighbors, getting invited to dinner, or helping with dog-walking and pet-sitting," Jordan said. "That's the thing about college - you're mostly surrounded by people your own age. But living off campus gives students the chance to form multigenerational relationships. There's something really meaningful about connecting with people who are in a different season of life."

Providence resident Claire Santoro, who joined the BLOC party event this year with her husband and two-year-old son, said Brown students enrich the neighborhood's mix.

"The area where we live has a combination of families, single-family homes and multi-family buildings where some graduate students live," Santoro said. "We really appreciate the neighborhood feel, and the more students can integrate into the community by being visible, friendly and a positive presence, the more pleasant it is for everyone. Every now and then, if there are art or engineering students working on projects outside, it's neat to hear what they're working on. It really adds a lot of creative energy to the neighborhood."

With the program now in its second year, the Office of Residential Life hopes to expand Brunonians Living Off Campus to support graduate students and other Brown community members, according to Jordan.

"Our initial goal with BLOC is to support undergraduate students, but the resources we've developed are valuable for anyone considering off-campus housing," she said. "We hope to expand support to newly admitted graduate students as they prepare to move to Providence, and we see the program as a helpful tool for new staff members joining the Brown community as well."