Active Community Engagement with the Freshman Urban Program

ACE will introduce you to MIT and neighboring agencies in Boston and Cambridge, and encourage you to consider your role in this community and grow your awareness of many social issues in your new neighborhood. Not only will you participate in thought-provoking activities and small group discussions involving topics such as hunger, privilege, and race, but you will also gain a greater understanding through your hands-on experience volunteering with local organizations who fight social injustice in the greater Boston area.

MIT upperclassmen plan and train throughout the spring and summer to be ACE coordinators and counselors, and then facilitate the ACE program in the fall. As part of the ACE family, you will be part of a tight-knit community of fellow ACE-ers who will continue to push you and learn with you throughout your time at MIT. The program will introduce you to the inside scoop on surviving and thriving at MIT, and will also give you many chances to explore the exciting Boston area. We will take you all around the city - from service placements like the Greater Boston Food Bank or Community Servings, to visiting beautiful outdoor spaces, to dinners, cannolis, and more!

Potential service placements include:

• Preparing meals at supportive housing programs or shelters, or for meal delivery programs
• Sorting food donations at the Greater Boston Food Bank
• Organizing school supplies for an educational organization
• Volunteering at community health and art centers

Exploration and discussion activities include:

• Engaging in activities that explore hunger, gender, and cultural issues
• Learning from locals about the social issues facing our community
• Getting the inside scoop on surviving and thriving at MIT from a team of student counselors
• Exploring the best of Cambridge and Boston’s fascinating neighborhoods

Applications for ACE will open in the spring through the MIT Office of the First Year FPOP Programs.