MIT: Independent Activities Period: IAP

IAP 2014 Activities by Sponsor - Public Service Center

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A Great Technology is Not Enough: Cultural Dimensions of Change

Mattias Ohlson

Jan/09 Thu 01:00PM-02:00PM N51-310

Enrollment: Limited: First come, first served (no advance sign-up)
Limited to 40 participants

Half of the world’s population use firewood or charcoal for cooking, using old cooking technologies such as open fires or low-efficiency stoves. The negative health effects are staggering: an estimated 4 million people die every year due to indoor air pollution from open fires, more than malaria and HIV/AIDS combined. Families spend a substantial part of their household income on cooking fuel. In addition, making of charcoal is one of the primary causes of deforestation in Africa.

Emerging Cooking Solutions, a social business working in Zambia, has created an innovative system using micro-gasfying cooking stoves and locally produced waste biomass pellets, which reduce emissions drastically, saving money and time for the users and preserving about 6 tons of virgin forest for each stove that use pellets instead of charcoal. Their approach is to work with women’s groups, churches and other local organizations to reduce the initial threshold of entry and create a product that works in the local cultural context.    

Hear founder Mattias Ohlson and Marion Peterson speak about their challenges and opportunities launching a social business in Zambia.

Light refreshments

Sponsor(s): D-Lab, Public Service Center
Contact: Sally Chapman, 33-309, 617 253-4926, SALLYC@MIT.EDU


CityDay IAP - One Community Together in Community Service!

Kelsey Boivin, Community Engagement Administrator

Jan/29 Wed 09:00AM-05:00PM Various Locations, Times for each activity vary per organization

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/23
Limited to 120 participants
Prereq: None

We invite all members of the MIT Community to join us for the third annual IAP community service day, CityDay IAPThere are four locations and several times during the day in which you may volunteer. We hope these flexible options will allow you to schedule some volunteer time during your busy January:

  1. The Greater Boston Food Bank - Volunteers will be inspecting, sorting, and repacking donated grocery products to be distributed to hunger relief agencies (Half day service starting at noon and ending at 330pm).
  2. Cradles to Crayons - Volunteers will be sorting and packaging donations into "C2C KidPacks," which are individualized packages of essential children's items ordered for specific in-need kids (Service time noon to 3pm).
  3. The Charles River Conservancy - Volunteers will be helping to support. (Half Day service - meet on campus at 915am, with service from 10am-1pm).
  4. CASPAR - Volunteers will work either in the organization's shelter, or in some of the organization's residential homes in Cambridge/Somerville (Service times TBD).

 

Public transportation fees to/from the service placement will be provided on the service date. Please register by January 23rd!

Register here (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1SR5FE3Rgbjd-k72JOOJfqFrLuIKFefR5om9Pc_KbYm0/viewform)

Note: To participate, staff members need to gain permission from their supervisors to be released during normal work hours.

 

Sponsor(s): Public Service Center
Contact: Kelsey Boivin, W20, 617 253-8968, BOIVINK@MIT.EDU


Writing Personal Statements and Proposals That Work

Alison Hynd

Jan/28 Tue 02:00PM-03:30PM 8-119

Enrollment: Unlimited: Advance sign-up required

 

Are you applying for grad school? Considering a Distinguished Fellowship? Seeking funding for your summer project?

Come and learn the nuts and bolts of writing successful personal statements and proposals.

Staff from Global Education and the Public Service Center will share their tips as frequent proposal readers and writers. Students who've written successful proposals will share what worked for them!

 

Presented by:

Kimberly Benard, Global Education Office

Alison Hynd, Public Service Center

 

RSVP to hynd@mit.edu

 

Sponsor(s): Public Service Center, Global Education and Career Development
Contact: Alison Hynd, hynd@mit.edu