MIT Educational Studies Program: Difference between revisions

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<!-- EDIT BELOW THIS LINE -->The Educational Studies Program (ESP) is a student-run academic club in the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] (MIT). It is known for operating many educational programs for the local high school and middle school community in the [[Boston]] area. The ESP office is in the fourth floor of the [[Stratton Student Center]].

== History ==

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The MIT Educational Studies Program was established in 1957; in that same year, it started running the Summer Studies Program (SSP), known as the High School Studies Program (HSSP) since 1967.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Turner |first1=Elijah Jordan |date=November 20, 2007 |title=Make a Splash: ESP Encourages Students To Dive and Explore |work=The Tech |url=https://thetech.com/2007/11/20/splash-v127-n56 |access-date=29 October 2022}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> SSP originally provided college freshman level classes in more traditionally academic subjects like math and science. By 1969, HSSP grew to attract over 1300 students and 130 instructors, with diverse topics like Iverson Language.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Mann |first=Charles |date=March 4, 1969 |title=Educational Studies Program draws 1300 high schoolers |work=The Tech |url=http://tech.mit.edu/V89/PDF/N7.pdf}}</ref>

Their "largest annual teaching and learning extravaganza",<ref>{{Cite web |title=MIT ESP - Splash! |url=https://esp.mit.edu/learn/Splash/index.html |website=MIT ESP}}</ref> Splash, first ran in 1988 with over 130 students, 22 teachers, and classes in topics like the biology of the [[AIDS]] virus and vector manipulation.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Tarasewiez |first=Darrel |date=November 6, 1988 |title=Program holds classes for 130 high schoolers |work=The Tech |url=http://tech.mit.edu/V108/PDF/V108-N53.pdf}}</ref> By 2008, these numbers grew to over 2000 students, 300 teachers, and 400 classes. <ref>{{Cite news |last=Verma |first=Aditi |date=November 25, 2008 |title=This Year’sYear's Splash Is Largest Ever |work=The Tech |url=https://thetech.com/2008/11/25/splash-v128-n58}}</ref>

In 2007, MIT ESP alumni founded [[Learning Unlimited]], a [[nonprofit organization]] whose goal is to "make educational opportunities more readily available for all students."<ref name=":1">{{cite web |title=About Learning Unlimited |url=https://www.learningu.org/about/ |website=Learning Unlimited |access-date=29 October 2022}}</ref> Since then, Learning Unlimited has supported the creation of Splash programs at other colleges like [[Yale]],<ref>{{Cite news |last=Schneider |first=Dana |date=November 11, 2013 |title=Student teachers make a Splash at Yale |work=Yale Daily News |url=https://yaledailynews.com/blog/2013/11/11/student-teachers-make-a-splash-at-yale/}}</ref> and [[Stanford]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Rodríguez |first=Arielle |date=November 8, 2015 |title=Stanford Splash brings hundreds of kids to college |work=The Stanford Daily |url=https://stanforddaily.com/2015/11/08/stanford-splash-brings-hundreds-of-kids-to-college/}}</ref>

Due to the [[COVID-19]] pandemic, programs from Summer HSSP 2020<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Quines |first=CJ |date=August 20, 2020 |title=Two thousand students walk into a Zoom call |url=https://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/two-thousand-students/}}</ref> to Summer HSSP 2022 were moved to a virtual format, including Splash 2020.<ref name=":2" /> Their first fullyprogram after Covid to return to in-person program was Splash 2022, running from November 19 to November 20, 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Reitmeyer |first=Cyndi |date=October 21, 2022 |title=MIT Splash 2022 for High School Students |url=https://www.bostontechmom.com/mit-splash-2022-for-high-school-students/ |website=BostonTechMom}}</ref>

== Programs ==

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The program usually costs around 40 dollars but generous need based financial aid is available upon request. Students submit preferences for classes and a lottery system is used to allot classes to students. A student is allowed to attend as many classes as fits their schedule. Walk in activities and classes are organized. These classes can be attended without prior registration.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=MIT ESP - Splash! |url=https://esp.mit.edu/learn/Splash/index.html |access-date=2022-11-01 |website=esp.mit.edu}}</ref>

A famous personality who taught at Splash includes [[Randall Munroe]], the creator of the webcomic [[Xkcd|xkcd]]. He wrote the book [[What If? (book)]] after being inspired while taking a class at Splash.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Garber |first=Megan |date=September 26, 2012 |title=A Conversation With Randall Munroe, the Creator of XKCD |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/09/a-conversation-with-randall-munroe-the-creator-of-xkcd/262851/ |access-date=2022-11-01 |website=The Atlantic |language=en}}</ref>

=== Spark ===

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<references />

{{MIT}}

[[Category:Massachusetts Institute of Technology]]

[[Category:Education in Boston]]