OEL Awards Grants to Support Social Impact Opportunities
The Office of Experiential Learning (OEL) recently completed two annual grant processes designed to fuel the creation of experiential learning and other opportunities at MIT. Both requests for proposals closed in early October, and review committees composed of students, staff, and faculty convened during the first half of October to award funding.
Faculty and staff hoping to create or expand social or environmentally impactful opportunities for undergraduate students were invited to apply for Social Impact ELO grants. This year, OEL awarded over $600k in grants to support eight unique programs. These programs will collectively offer up to 185 new opportunities for undergraduate students during IAP, Spring, and Summer 2025. Successful proposals focused on diverse social and environmental issues and included local and global locations. ELOs include collaborating with public library staff to bring STEM education to underserved communities and working with the MIT Office of Sustainability and Urban Risk Lab to understand, communicate, and develop strategies to reduce heat risk for MIT and surrounding communities. Students interested in Social Impact ELOs can find them on ELx, contact the Office of Experiential Learning for advice, or directly contact programs like the PKG Public Service Center that offer many social impact opportunities.
The IAP Mini-Grants were open to all students, staff, and faculty, and were designed to support smaller-scale workshops and maker projects that capture the spirit of IAP. In partnership with the Morningside Academy for Design and Office of the Vice President for Climate, OEL awarded almost $30k in small grants (typically $500-1,000) to support more than 40 workshops and projects. Many funded workshops will be open to MIT community members, so keep an eye on the Events Calendar if you want to try something new this IAP! OVC staff are also welcome to offer non-credit activities and events during IAP, and hands-on activities like crafting tend to be particularly popular, so it is a great time to share your hobbies and talents. Learn more about offering and participating in IAP activities on the OEL website.
— Kate Weishaar, OEL