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. 

PCBs!!!!!!!!! This class teaches the basics of Printed-Circuit-Board (PCB) schematic design, layout engineering, population, and debugging. General engineering design principals provide a base for learning for the entire class, hands-on education is also stressed through lab components.

Class contains three tracks. Track 1: little to no experience with electrical design or PCBs in general, students design and build a bluetooth speaker. Track 2: more extensive prior experience, students build a more complex project, focus on motors and motor control. Track 3: extensive design experience, focus on special topics including flexible PCBs and RF. All tracks meet together. Class additionally covers details on batteries, impedance matching, motors, motor control, RF, flexible PCBs, design for manufacturing, and analysis.

You WILL BUILD THINGS IN THIS CLASS, this includes the PCB you design. We will teach you to solder microcontrollers, populate small components with precision, and how to SYSTEMATICALLY test and debug your PCB. Order of population and testing is stressed, by-hand population is required. 

NO EXPERIENCE IS REQUIRED, OPEN TO ALL. Uses the industry-standard software Altium Designer (licenses provided).

Students will each manufacture a functioning internal combustion engine. Advanced mill and lathe skills, both CNC and manual, will be taught and practiced. Previous milling or turning experience is good to have but not required. All materials and tools will be provided.  Space is extremely limited; please complete the interest form,  https://forms.gle/yA43DmU9pHpg3tod8

Students will each manufacture a functioning internal combustion engine. Advanced mill and lathe skills, both CNC and manual, will be taught and practiced. Previous milling or turning experience is good to have but not required. All materials and tools will be provided.  Space is extremely limited; please complete the interest form,  https://forms.gle/yA43DmU9pHpg3tod8

Learn to use a variety of cricut skills over three days! Starting with an intro to illustrator and cricut design space, participants will learn a few illustrator basics necessary to bring their ideas to life. Over the next few days participants will design their cup and bag. Then Monday we will do a vinyl project and focus on using the cricut to cut vinyl, as well as vinyl application, with a final result of a custom glass tumbler. Then the last day will be making tote bags with one of the other amazing abilities of cricut, infusible ink!

In the event that more people than we can take sign up there will be a lottery with preference to undergrads. the form is due Friday the 20th. On the 24th everyone will receive an email about whether or not they are in the class. If you are in the class you will need to download adobe illustrator and cricut design space. 

Etch your own design into a beverage glass!

Make a vinyl sticker stencils 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. Registration is not required, but appreciated - we will send you a reminder email!
 

Learn to use glass cutting tools and make your own piece of fused glass art or jewelry.

Three instruction sessions start at 3:00pm, 4:15pm, and 5:30pm.

This activity is drop-in, first come, first serve. Registration is not required, but appreciated - we will send you a reminder email!

Learn to make a Chinese decorative knot to celebrate Chinese New Year! Use it as wall decor, a hanging bag charm, or give it to a friend to share the holiday spirit!

This activity is drop-in, first come, first serve. Registration is not required, but appreciated - we will send you a reminder email!

Explore the different effects archetypes, categories, and flavors - what does a phaser sound like, and how is a flanger different? What even is the difference between a distortion and an overdrive? What makes “vintage” effects so special (and are they really that great?)

Prototype, customize, solder, and assemble a Fuzz or Tremolo effect circuit. Learn how to prototype on a temporary breadboard, and then solder it onto a pcb to make it permanent. Experiment with different modifications and components to customize your sound. Assemble and decorate your pedal to make it yours.

We will have a couple small amps and a guitar or two in the shop, but bring your own instrument if you’d like!

$20 Material Fee, payable by cash or credit card at the first session.

Space is limited to 16 people. Registration closes on January 9th and lottery winners will be notified by 5pm the next day.
 

Create your own pride flag to incorporate into a decorative mobile!

Make attachments for a hanging mobile to display your pride flags with a variety of materials and colors. You can take home your creation or incorporate it into a larger structure in the Edgerton Center. Individuals of all gender and sexual identities are welcome!

This activity is drop-in, first come, first serve. Registration is not required, but greatly appreciated.

Questions? Email Vela: vvela@mit.edu

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 20 people. Registration closes on January 24th and lottery winners will be notified by 5pm the next day.

The Edgerton Center is named after ‘Doc’ Edgerton, who arrived at MIT for graduate study in Electrical Engineering in 1926.  His perfection of short duration high intensity light sources enabled him to take astounding photos of everyday things.  As the father of modern high speed photography, his photos became known around the world.  This talk will tell his MIT story and will show lots of great photos from his work. 

Presented by Professor J. Kim Vandiver, Director of the Edgerton Center (and former TA to Doc Edgerton)

Please pre-register for this lecture on Doc Edgerton's photographs. This event is wheelchair accessible and ASL interpretation will be provided. If you need additional accommodations in order to participate in this lecture, please let us know when you register.

Students will each manufacture a functioning internal combustion engine. Advanced mill and lathe skills, both CNC and manual, will be taught and practiced. Previous milling or turning experience is good to have but not required. All materials and tools will be provided.  Space is extremely limited; please complete the interest form,  https://forms.gle/yA43DmU9pHpg3tod8

Students will each manufacture a functioning internal combustion engine. Advanced mill and lathe skills, both CNC and manual, will be taught and practiced. Previous milling or turning experience is good to have but not required. All materials and tools will be provided.  Space is extremely limited; please complete the interest form,  https://forms.gle/yA43DmU9pHpg3tod8

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. 

PCBs!!!!!!!!! This class teaches the basics of Printed-Circuit-Board (PCB) schematic design, layout engineering, population, and debugging. General engineering design principals provide a base for learning for the entire class, hands-on education is also stressed through lab components.

Class contains three tracks. Track 1: little to no experience with electrical design or PCBs in general, students design and build a bluetooth speaker. Track 2: more extensive prior experience, students build a more complex project, focus on motors and motor control. Track 3: extensive design experience, focus on special topics including flexible PCBs and RF. All tracks meet together. Class additionally covers details on batteries, impedance matching, motors, motor control, RF, flexible PCBs, design for manufacturing, and analysis.

You WILL BUILD THINGS IN THIS CLASS, this includes the PCB you design. We will teach you to solder microcontrollers, populate small components with precision, and how to SYSTEMATICALLY test and debug your PCB. Order of population and testing is stressed, by-hand population is required. 

NO EXPERIENCE IS REQUIRED, OPEN TO ALL. Uses the industry-standard software Altium Designer (licenses provided).

Explore the different effects archetypes, categories, and flavors - what does a phaser sound like, and how is a flanger different? What even is the difference between a distortion and an overdrive? What makes “vintage” effects so special (and are they really that great?)

Prototype, customize, solder, and assemble a Fuzz or Tremolo effect circuit. Learn how to prototype on a temporary breadboard, and then solder it onto a pcb to make it permanent. Experiment with different modifications and components to customize your sound. Assemble and decorate your pedal to make it yours.

We will have a couple small amps and a guitar or two in the shop, but bring your own instrument if you’d like!

$20 Material Fee, payable by cash or credit card at the first session.

Space is limited to 16 people. Registration closes on January 9th and lottery winners will be notified by 5pm the next day.
 

The Edgerton Center is named after ‘Doc’ Edgerton, who arrived at MIT for graduate study in Electrical Engineering in 1926.  His perfection of short duration high intensity light sources enabled him to take astounding photos of everyday things.  As the father of modern high speed photography, his photos became known around the world.  This talk will tell his MIT story and will show lots of great photos from his work. 

Presented by Professor J. Kim Vandiver, Director of the Edgerton Center (and former TA to Doc Edgerton)

Please pre-register for this lecture on Doc Edgerton's photographs. This event is wheelchair accessible and ASL interpretation will be provided. If you need additional accommodations in order to participate in this lecture, please let us know when you register.

Learn to use glass cutting tools and make your own piece of fused glass art or jewelry.

Three instruction sessions start at 3:00pm, 4:15pm, and 5:30pm.

This activity is drop-in, first come, first serve. Registration is not required, but appreciated - we will send you a reminder email!

Learn to make a Chinese decorative knot to celebrate Chinese New Year! Use it as wall decor, a hanging bag charm, or give it to a friend to share the holiday spirit!

This activity is drop-in, first come, first serve. Registration is not required, but appreciated - we will send you a reminder email!

Etch your own design into a beverage glass!

Make a vinyl sticker stencils 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. Registration is not required, but appreciated - we will send you a reminder email!
 

Learn to use a variety of cricut skills over three days! Starting with an intro to illustrator and cricut design space, participants will learn a few illustrator basics necessary to bring their ideas to life. Over the next few days participants will design their cup and bag. Then Monday we will do a vinyl project and focus on using the cricut to cut vinyl, as well as vinyl application, with a final result of a custom glass tumbler. Then the last day will be making tote bags with one of the other amazing abilities of cricut, infusible ink!

In the event that more people than we can take sign up there will be a lottery with preference to undergrads. the form is due Friday the 20th. On the 24th everyone will receive an email about whether or not they are in the class. If you are in the class you will need to download adobe illustrator and cricut design space. 

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 20 people. Registration closes on January 24th and lottery winners will be notified by 5pm the next day.

Create your own pride flag to incorporate into a decorative mobile!

Make attachments for a hanging mobile to display your pride flags with a variety of materials and colors. You can take home your creation or incorporate it into a larger structure in the Edgerton Center. Individuals of all gender and sexual identities are welcome!

This activity is drop-in, first come, first serve. Registration is not required, but greatly appreciated.

Questions? Email Vela: vvela@mit.edu