The MIT Beaver Works Summer Institute (BWSI) is redefining STEM education for talented high school students, offering an immersive, hands-on learning experience designed to spark curiosity and ignite passion for cutting edge technologies. Beyond its renowned four-week summer program, BWSI engages students year-round through Fall and Spring Saturday sessions and two national STEM challenges.
Since its inception in 2016 with a single course, BWSI has grown into a thriving global program. What began with 46 students in the RACECAR course—where teams programmed autonomous robotic cars to navigate racetracks—has blossomed into a diverse curriculum. By 2025, the program featured 14 summer courses, including autonomous systems, chip design, microelectronics, and advanced engineering topics. This year saw record participation, with over 400 students from 275 high schools nationwide, and 42% of admitted students identifying as female a reflection of our commitment to increasing diversity in STEM.
BWSI’s growth hasn’t slowed, even during the challenges of the 2020 pandemic. By shifting to a virtual format, we not only maintained momentum but expanded access. Today, students complete online prerequisite courses on our eLearning platform, powered by OpenEdx, enabling them to explore topics like AI, robotics, and programming before selecting their summer course. This ensures students are both prepared and genuinely excited about their chosen fields of study.
Beyond summer, our Fall and Spring Saturday programs introduce students to foundational concepts, with the Fall program tailored specifically for girls. These sessions serve as gateways to STEM, covering everything from aerodynamics to artificial intelligence. Meanwhile, our national challenges—The CRE[AT]E Challenge and the Build a CubeSat Challenge—allow students across the U.S. to collaborate on real-world projects, from assistive technology to space based research missions.
Looking ahead, BWSI is determined to expand its reach and impact. We’re continuously developing new courses in emerging areas like data science, autonomous technologies, and advanced engineering. Our vision is ambitious: a global network of programs inspired by BWSI, empowering educators and schools worldwide to adopt our project-based approach. By sharing our resources and ideas, we aim to transform STEM education and prepare the leaders of tomorrow.
Join us in shaping the future of learning.
To bring BWSI’s innovative curriculum to your school or organization, contact us at bwsi-admin@mit.edu
