Training for Mexico

A couple thoughts from mentors Kyle Knoblock and David Zou after training sessions before the big trip to Mexico*:

"The Media Lab training was a lot of fun. The discussions with Andres about Scartch and PicoCrickets was interesting, but I really enjoyed when we had the oportunity to write a program in Scratch and build something with PicoCrickets. I am a computer science student, and for me seeing a method of programming like that was surprusing. It was quite easy to learn and very fun to do. I believe that the Mexican kids will like Scratch and PicoCrickets a lot, and I'm happy that they will have such an oportunity to learn about technology."
- Kyle Knoblock

"I think PicoCrickets and Scratch are a great way for students to use technology and become comfortable using it. The Scratch website and the ability for students, from all over the world who don't necessarily even speak same languages, to share their project with each other is an especially exciting feature of Scratch. The training got me very excited about introducing Scratch and PicoCrickets to the students and I really look forward to seeing the different projects the students will make with them."
- David Zou

* Scratch and PicoCrickets are two examples of technology we are implementing into the new curriculum. Scratch (scratch.mit.edu) allows users to use basic programming tools to convey a message that can be shared on the web. PicoCrickets (picocricket.com) combines a small computer and an assortment of sensors to create different works of art with which you can interact.

Student Applications

We have received your student applications and recommendations! We are currently in the process of reviewing them now. However, due to Thanksgiving break, we have decided to extend the application deadline to December 20th. Please continue sending them in! We are very excited about all the new potential students we will have in the spring.

We are finishing up mentor training and preparing for the upcoming spring session. Curriculum innovation is coming to completion as well. This year, the curriculum will include a concentration in technology. We are also reaching out to other service and leadership groups in hopes of creating a network of support and collaboration of ideals and programs.

Mentor Training

Congratulations to the new exec and directors! LTI recently restructured its exec board:

Shion An ’12 Secretary,
Sandra Chen ’12 Recruitment Chair,
Nicholas Dou ’12 Technology Chair,
Liane Fang ’11 Curriculum Chair,
Janice Jang ’10 Finance,
Taylor Jay ’11 Associate Director,
Amanda Mok ’11 Director,
Chris Ohlmacher ’11 Mentor Trainer,
Elli Pula ’11 Human Resources,
Lauren Rodda ’11 Programming Chair,
Lily Xu ’12 Marketing Chair,
Jia Zhou ’11 Publicity/Relations Director.


November 23rd Mentor Training finished. Chris Ohlmacher finished leading the last training session, so congratulations to all of our new mentors!

LTI is currently trying to get the word out about its curriculum. We will be on the Student Services Leadership Opportunities webpage soon.

Hello.

I forgot to introduce myself.

My name is Lily Xu, and I'm a freshman majoring in Environmental Engineering. I was born and raised in Alabama and remained in the deep South until I finally escaped to MIT. I like eating sushi, singing, making crafts and playing with water nymphs.

I'm the marketing chair this year, which means I get to meet with people to explore advertising and expansion tactics, create newsletters, and blog! Assuming everything goes according to plan, this blog will be updated weekly.

Enjoy!

LTI Retreat!

This past weekend, LTI took its exec board and new mentors to Camp Cody for a weekend of leadership training fun and bonding time! The retreat took place the weekend of November 15-16 from noon on Saturday until noon on Sunday. After we arrived at our destination, LTI enthusiasts embarked on the CODY Leadership Course guided by Jenny.

Despite the cold weather, we were all able to muster up enough warmth to mingle, indulge, and enjoy ourselves amongst our new LTI-teammates. The following are a few magical moments that Amanda Mok so graciously captured for us:



















After having a delicious dinner composed of hot food, we all huddled around the fireplace, nibbling on s'mores, opening our hearts, and sharing to our new friends the turning points of our life.

Eventually we split into respective mentor and exec groups. The mentors followed Chris and engaged in mentor-like leadership activities whereas the exec board began visualizing the future and restructuring the hierarchy.

Congratulations to Amanda Mok for being our new director!



Then we went to sleep. Or at least, the bottom half of the cabin went to sleep while the other half sat around until 4 am screaming "BANG ME."



Sunday morning we are treated to another meal of delicious hot food, a game of jig-a-low, and a ride back to MIT.

Hooray for LTI!

Class 7 of HSSP LTI

Hi again. This past Sunday was our 7^th class in the summer session and our theme for the week was obstacles. Obstacles are present in all our lives and can take many forms: physical, social, and mental to name a few. Dealing with these obstacles can often redirect our lives in unpredictable ways. We started the session off with the Disabilities activity. Using tape and splints the four mentors and I gave each student a physical disability. Students became blind, deaf and mute as well as “losing” arms, legs, hands, and fingers. The students worked together to move down the hallway and stairs to get to Lobby 13 where each of the 5 groups came up with a cheer for LTI. We heard some pretty good poetry and enthusiasm. In our discussion afterwards students spoke about how they developed different senses to take the place of ones they had lost. Other students said they were bothered by people who had stared at them as they fumbled down the hallway. Disablities make us diverge from the accepted norm, but not always as obstacles. They make us look at the world differently and just might help solve some of the world’s problems. As we discussed at the end of class, many leaders such as FDR, Beethoven, Steven Hawking, and Christopher Reeve seem to have overcome their physical disabilities to make great changes in their fields, from governing the US to describing elusive black holes. Could it be, however, that having a disability was essential to their ability to provide a fresh view of the world and its potential?

We spent the rest of our session talking about how we as students, ranging from junior high to college, can be agents of change. Our four mentors, all alumnus from the Spring Session of LTI, gave speeches on the progress of the projects they proposed in the spring. Then we discussed with the students projects they may want to do and how they can be successful. To learn more about the Spring Session projects, check out our website: www.mitlti.org.

Summer Session of LTI

Hi, I’m Lauren Rodda and I am a co-teacher with Amanda Mok of the 2008 Summer Session of Leadership Training Institute. This is our second year collaborating with the MIT High School Summer Program to make LTI available in the summer. We are really excited to work with our new students!

A bit about us:

We are both upcoming sophomores that worked with LTI during the inaugural Spring Session. Besides LTI I rowed for the Open-Weight Women’s Crew team in the fall and played on the Women’s Lacrosse team in the spring. I am currently majoring in biology and am working in a MIT Biology lab this summer.