Brown, then and now

Brown University

Brown hosted the first 1vyG—and welcomed it home nine years later.

2015 · 20241vyG conference archive

1vyG volunteers gathering at Brown for the inaugural conference — Brown University · 2015 · 2024

The conference story

The conference grew alongside first-generation support on campus.

The inaugural summit helped build momentum for Brown’s U-FLi Center. When the conference returned to College Hill, a new generation of students set the agenda.

Inside the gathering

Two Brown gatherings, nine years apart.

Understanding. Agency. Pride. Action.

In early 2015, 250 first-generation students and 50 administrators came to College Hill for the first 1vyG. The program centered four ideas—understanding, agency, pride, and action—and gave students space to compare the parts of college life rarely discussed in public.

The gathering helped build momentum for Brown’s U-FLi Center, which opened the following year as a dedicated place for students to find support and one another.

Participation: 250 students and 50 administrators
Reach: More than 10 colleges and universities
Framework: Understanding · agency · pride · action

Read Brown Daily Herald Read the history of Brown’s U-FLi Center

First Lady Michelle Obama in conversation at the White House’s Beating the Odds Summit

Watch the exchange

Inside the White House conversation

What students need after admission.

At the White House’s Beating the Odds Summit, First Lady Michelle Obama spoke about finding a place to be herself in college and asking for help early.

1vyG emphasized communities built on trust and shared knowledge—and the need for universities to offer support before students have to ask.

CommunityAccessMobility

Watch the 1vyG exchange Watch the full conversation Read the official transcript

In Motion: the network returns to its roots

More than 150 students and administrators from 29 institutions returned to Brown for its first 1vyG since the inaugural summit. Ten years after the idea began, current student organizers designed the weekend around the questions their generation was facing.

The “In Motion” program reflected a broader view of first-generation, low-income, and undocumented+ life through student-led workshops, poster sessions, professional development, a career fair, and an open mic.

Participation: More than 150 students and administrators
Reach: 29 colleges and universities
Theme: In Motion · many ways to be first-generation

Read Brown University Read the post-conference report