For the PHA Community

Are you searching for an innovative summer learning experience? Are you passionate about being a responsible global citizen? Do you believe that your ideas can make a difference? If you answered YES to any of these questions, then MIT Generation Global may be the program for YOU!

MIT Generation Global is an opportunity for current PHA freshmen and sophomores to participate in an innovative, two-week, hands-on/ project-based learning experience at MIT from June 29 to July 10, 2015. Under the guidance of MIT students, one PHA faculty member, and a collection of guest speakers and MIT professors, students will work with a team of peers to tackle a global issue related to scarcity. Scarcity impacts countries around the world through shortages of clean water, agricultural land, food, shelter, fuel, electricity, internet access, and adequate medical care. 

Through field trips, guest speakers, field research, and various activities, PHA students will learn about a global scarcity issue from its complex social, political, economic, and technological dimensions. After developing a strong understanding of the issue, students will create recommendations for addressing the problem. These recommendations could include methods for increasing depleted resources, techniques for improving the efficiency of technologies, and/or strategies for altering the global distribution of resources.  

Because global scarcity issues are multidisciplinary problems, the strength of the student team is largely dependent upon the diversity of interests represented by the students. As such, student interests may include the following areas (this is not an exhaustive list):

  • International relations
  • Politics and government
  • International development 
  • Business and entrepreneurship
  • Climate change
  • Environmental science and natural resource use
  • Engineering design
  • Technology
  • Economics
  • Sociology and anthropology

MIT Generation Global is administered through the MIT CIS Director of Public Programs. This is a tuition-free program.

To apply, please email a statement of purpose that addresses the application questions on the following page. All submissions must be typed using Microsoft Word and emailed as an attachment to Michelle Nhuch, Director of Public Programs, at genglobal@mit.edu by Monday, March 9, 2015, at 5:00 PM. Please limit the length of your statement to 1-page, single-spaced, 12-pt font, Times New Roman, with regular margins. Be sure that your name and current grade-level appear on all documents.

Application Questions:

  • Why are you interested in becoming a MIT Generation Global Student Fellow?
  • This program requires you to work with a team of your peers to study very complex global interactions and develop solutions and/or recommendations for improving these issues that are based on your understanding. With this in mind:
    • What are some of the challenges and opportunities that you foresee in this type of program?
    • How could you make the largest contribution to the team?
    • How do you hope to grow throughout this experience?
  • Given the real-world subject matter and highly experiential learning environment, Student Fellows will need to be flexible and will need to persevere through challenging situations. Please describe an experience that did not go as planned and required you to adapt to a challenging situation. What are some of the techniques that you used and how would you apply them to this experience?
  • Because this is a team-based project, all Student Fellows are required to be on time for program activities and fully commit to the full two-week program. Looking ahead to the program dates, do you anticipate any reason why you would not be able to fully commit to the program expectations?

Projected Program Timeline:

Monday, March 9, 2015
  • PHA student application deadline. Email application materials to Michelle Nhuch at genglobal@mit.edu.
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
  • PHA student participants are announced.

Wednesday, June 3, 2015 

  • Lunch: ‘Meet and Greet Lunch’ for MIT students, PHA Faculty Fellow, and PHA student participants at PHA.
Monday, June 29, 2015 – Friday July 10, 2015
  • MIT Generation Global summer program for PHA students.
    • Typical daily schedule: 5-hour workshop for students (with lunch break)
Friday, July 10, 2015
  • MIT Generation Global Final Exhibitions

MIT Generation Global is a partnership between the MIT Center for International Studies (CIS) and Prospect Hill Academy Charter School for summer 2015. In its pilot year, MIT Generation Global will bring together a team comprised of one PHA Faculty Fellow from any discipline, two MIT students, and a K-12 curriculum design expert to design and facilitate a two-week, problem-based program for a select group of rising PHA sophomores and juniors. With the theme of global scarcity, the problem-based curriculum will challenge high school students to examine the complex social, political, economic, and technological dimensions of a specific global scarcity problem. Scarcity topics may include shortfalls in potable water, arable land, irrigation, food, shelter, fuel, electricity, internet access, or medical care. The program culminates with students presenting their analysis of the problem and recommendations for addressing the issue to a panel of experts. These recommendations could include methods for increasing depleted resources, techniques for improving the efficiency of technologies, and/or strategies for altering the global distribution of resources. Given the multidimensional nature of global scarcity problems, the strength of the instructional team is largely dependent upon the diversity of experiences represented on the team. As such, we encourage teachers from all disciplines to apply for the fellowship.

Through MIT Generation Global, the PHA Faculty Fellow will have the opportunity to:

  1. Provide high school pedagogy and adolescent development expertise to the instructional team;
  2. Mentor, coach, and inspire MIT students who are interested in K-12 urban education;  
  3. Receive professional development focused on teaching for global understanding and integrating problem-based curriculum design into their practice.

In addition to the two weeks of instructional time from June 29 to July 10, 2015 (approximately 80 hours), the PHA Faculty Fellow must commit approximately 20 hours of time to program support and professional development from March 9 to June 27, 2015. Please see the projected program timeline for additional details. A $3000.00 stipend, administered through the MIT Center for International Studies, will be awarded to the Faculty Fellow upon successful completion of the program. MIT Generation Global is administered through the CIS Director of Public Programs.

To apply, please email a resume and cover letter that addresses the following questions to Michelle Nhuch, Director of Public Programs, at genglobal@mit.edu by Friday, February 13, 2015, at 5:00 PM.

  • The ideal Faculty Fellow feels confident in their ability to contribute to a multidisciplinary instructional team, while also being able to move outside of their comfort zone to expand their practice. With this in mind:  
    • What are some of the challenges and opportunities that you foresee in this type of role? 
    • How could you make the largest contribution to the team?  Please consider how your content expertise and/or professional experiences have prepared you with a unique perspective to benefit the team.  
    • How do you hope to grow – professionally and/or personally – through this experience?
  • MIT Generation Global is a pilot program, so there may be times when things do not go as planned. In these cases, it is critical for the instructional team to maintain the flexibility to alter plans, proceed with professionalism, and provide a high quality experience for students. Please describe your experience working in highly adaptive environments and/or the techniques that you would use to maintain a high quality learning experience for students when faced with adversity.

Projected Program Timeline:

Monday, December 1, 2014
  • PHA Faculty Fellow and MIT Team applications are released.
Monday, January 5, 2015
  • PHA student application is released.
Friday, February 13, 2015
  • PHA Faculty Fellow application deadline. Email application materials to Michelle Nhuch at genglobal@mit.edu.
Friday, February 27, 2015
  • PHA Faculty Fellow is selected.
Monday, March 9, 2015
  • MIT Team application and PHA student application deadline.
Week of March 9, 2015
  • MIT Team applications are reviewed by a selection panel, including PHA Faculty Fellow.
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
  • MIT Team and PHA student participants are announced.
Saturday, May 30, 2015
  • 4-hour kick-off professional development workshop at MIT with Instructional Team and curriculum design expert.
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
  • Morning: MIT students observe PHA classes.
  • Lunch: ‘Meet and Greet Lunch’ for MIT students, Faculty Fellow, and PHA student participants.
  • Afternoon: 4-hour professional development workshop at PHA for the Instructional Team (MIT students and PHA Faculty Fellow) led by curriculum design expert.
Week of June 8, 2015
  • PHA Faculty Fellow reviews initial draft of summer curriculum and provides feedback to team.
Week of June 22, 2015
  • PHA Faculty Fellow reviews final draft of summer curriculum and provides feedback to team.
Saturday, June 27, 2015
  • 4-hour professional development workshop at MIT for the instructional team led by curriculum design expert.
Monday, June 29, 2015 – Friday July 10, 2015
  • MIT Generation Global summer program for PHA students.
  • Typical daily schedule: 1-hour of preparation for instructional team, 5-hour workshop for students (with lunch break), and 2-hour debrief/ planning time for instructional team.
Friday, July 10, 2015
  • MIT Generation Global Final Exhibitions