Arrive at the MIT campus, join your group for an orientation and campus tour, and get acclimated to university life in Cambridge. Each day features a hands-on workshop or field study followed by a discussion-based seminar or group meeting to further examine and apply what you’ve learned. Program leaders guide the group through each activity and facilitate workshops and discussions with program experts. Head off-campus to state-of-the-art research labs and applied technology centers to explore scientific solutions to some of the most critical and compelling issues facing the modern world.
Go beyond the headlines of nuclear energy at MIT’s Nuclear Reactor Laboratory. Talk to MIT students who operate the reactor, engineers who design experiments, and distinguished nuclear researchers. Get your questions answered in a live lecture and during a virtual tour of the MIT Reactor and its research facilities. Plus, dive into hands-on labs to measure radiation, test how different materials block it, and use a simulator that mirrors the MIT Reactor's operational parameters on three large touchscreen displays.
Visit the Self-Assembly lab at MIT and learn about how researchers are using wave energy and underwater structures to promote sand accumulation as part of a project to rebuild coastlines and "build" islands. Observe demonstrations with tanks designed to mimic the ocean experience, manipulating water and sand to see a small scale of this action. In the late afternoon, head out to explore some of Boston's "green roofs" and learn about these and other innovative and accessible urban farming solutions from a specialized design-build firm.
Take breaks from seminars to explore the vibrant cities of Cambridge and Boston. Peruse the shelves at bookstores in Harvard Square, kayak along the Charles River, meet culinary entrepreneurs at the Boston Public Market, or visit one of the area’s world-famous museums. Wander the cobbled streets winding through some of our country’s oldest neighborhoods, and delve into Revolutionary War history during a walk along the Freedom Trail. Each evening, gather on campus for a group activity, such as a presentation by one of our program experts, a panel discussion with current MIT students and faculty, a film screening, or a concert.
Engage in a friendly multi-day hack-a-thon competition directed by your instructors, framed by finding applications for new technologies in the service of environmental conservation and protection. Finish the competition with your own AI-powered prototype and design in hand. Design and hone a final project that focuses on an issue important to you and your home communities.
