Offers students alternative exploratory experience in teaching, learning, and researching. Through collaborative activities with open-ended experiments from diverse origins, participants re-create historical instruments and discoveries that challenged assumptions and sparked new investigations. Student curiosity and questions shape specific course content. Assignments include observations, experiments, readings, journal writing and sketching, and a final reflective paper. 

EC.S00/ EC.S12: The goal of this special IAP Learning Opportunity is to provide participants with a “how to” decarbonization manual, along with experiential learning opportunities through workshop-activities and field trips to Net Zero buildings in the greater Boston area. Elements of this Learning Opportunity include: 1) how to calculate a carbon footprint of a person, building, campus, city, country, 2) learning the basic science and engineering of decarbonization 3) examining case studies of 4th and 5th Generation geothermal district energy systems, such as the 1st 100% net zero campus, Colorado Mesa University 4) taking a deep dive into a D-Lab, Geo@MIT student team + MIT Alumni for Climate Action proposal for “100% Decarbonization of MIT Campus by 2035 via 6th Generation Geothermal District Heating and Cooling” 5) several field trips to Net Zero Buildings in the greater Boston area.

Manufacture a steel single speed bicycle frame, install parts, and ride it. Students will meet with D-Lab instructors for a required meeting in December to choose geometry. MIG welding training is a prerequisite and will not be taught as part of this course. One complete set of components needed to make the bike rideable will be provided.

For credit, 2 units.  Five students only, undergrad or grad.

Interested students will need to be available for December meeting with instructor. Contact Jack Whipple (whipple@) directly to confirm prereq and confirm December meeting date.  Twenty additional hours to be scheduled with Instructor in shared lab space.

This workshop offers an introduction to creating a 3D-printed, computer vision-controlled finger using Arduino and OpenCV, encompassing design, assembly, programming, and integration of hardware and software. Participants do not need to have prior experience, but will need to bring a laptop to the session.

Space is limited to 10 people per session. Registration closes at 5pm on January 3rd. Participants will be chosen by lottery and notified on January 4th. Registration includes the option to bring one guest.

Etch your own design into a beverage glass!

Make a vinyl sticker stencil and do a simple chemical etch. A variety of glasses are available for you to take, or bring your own.

Three instruction sessions start at 4:00pm, 5:00pm, and 6:00 pm

This activity is drop-in, first come, first serve.

Register to light up your IAP with beautiful acrylic displays 💡 We will be learning how to build LED circuits and how to engrave designs using the laser cutter. 

Space is limited to 10 people per session. Registration closes at 5pm on January 3rd. Participants will be chosen by lottery and notified on January 4th. Registration includes the option to bring one guest.

This is a single-session activity that will occur 2 times (not a multi-day class.) You can select a session on the registration form.

Create a leather wallet in this leatherworking workshop!

Space is limited to 8 people per session. Registration closes at 5pm on January 3rd. Participants will be chosen by lottery and notified on January 4th. Registration includes the option to bring one guest.

This is a single-session activity that will occur 2 times (not a multi-day class.) You can select a session on the registration form.

Manufacture a steel single speed bicycle frame, install parts, and ride it. Students will meet with D-Lab instructors for a required meeting in December to choose geometry. MIG welding training is a prerequisite and will not be taught as part of this course. One complete set of components needed to make the bike rideable will be provided.

For credit, 2 units.  Five students only, undergrad or grad.

Interested students will need to be available for December meeting with instructor. Contact Jack Whipple (whipple@) directly to confirm prereq and confirm December meeting date.  Twenty additional hours to be scheduled with Instructor in shared lab space.

Offers students alternative exploratory experience in teaching, learning, and researching. Through collaborative activities with open-ended experiments from diverse origins, participants re-create historical instruments and discoveries that challenged assumptions and sparked new investigations. Student curiosity and questions shape specific course content. Assignments include observations, experiments, readings, journal writing and sketching, and a final reflective paper. 

EC.S00/ EC.S12: The goal of this special IAP Learning Opportunity is to provide participants with a “how to” decarbonization manual, along with experiential learning opportunities through workshop-activities and field trips to Net Zero buildings in the greater Boston area. Elements of this Learning Opportunity include: 1) how to calculate a carbon footprint of a person, building, campus, city, country, 2) learning the basic science and engineering of decarbonization 3) examining case studies of 4th and 5th Generation geothermal district energy systems, such as the 1st 100% net zero campus, Colorado Mesa University 4) taking a deep dive into a D-Lab, Geo@MIT student team + MIT Alumni for Climate Action proposal for “100% Decarbonization of MIT Campus by 2035 via 6th Generation Geothermal District Heating and Cooling” 5) several field trips to Net Zero Buildings in the greater Boston area.

Etch your own design into a beverage glass!

Make a vinyl sticker stencil and do a simple chemical etch. A variety of glasses are available for you to take, or bring your own.

Three instruction sessions start at 4:00pm, 5:00pm, and 6:00 pm

This activity is drop-in, first come, first serve.

Register to light up your IAP with beautiful acrylic displays 💡 We will be learning how to build LED circuits and how to engrave designs using the laser cutter. 

Space is limited to 10 people per session. Registration closes at 5pm on January 3rd. Participants will be chosen by lottery and notified on January 4th. Registration includes the option to bring one guest.

This is a single-session activity that will occur 2 times (not a multi-day class.) You can select a session on the registration form.

Create a leather wallet in this leatherworking workshop!

Space is limited to 8 people per session. Registration closes at 5pm on January 3rd. Participants will be chosen by lottery and notified on January 4th. Registration includes the option to bring one guest.

This is a single-session activity that will occur 2 times (not a multi-day class.) You can select a session on the registration form.

This workshop offers an introduction to creating a 3D-printed, computer vision-controlled finger using Arduino and OpenCV, encompassing design, assembly, programming, and integration of hardware and software. Participants do not need to have prior experience, but will need to bring a laptop to the session.

Space is limited to 10 people per session. Registration closes at 5pm on January 3rd. Participants will be chosen by lottery and notified on January 4th. Registration includes the option to bring one guest.