When the PSC was founded, its primary focus was on engaging MIT students with K-12 students in our Cambridge community. Through the years, we have expanded our reach across the nation and around the world; Cambridge education remains our foundation and a core area of emphasis through PSC programs such as ReachOut and Community Service Work-Study. Here, two local education leaders share their thoughts on the involvement of MIT students in Cambridge education.

What impact has the MIT Public Service Center had on your organization and those you serve?
We have worked in partnership with the MIT Public Service Center since before I was employed by the Cambridge Community Center. Currently our organization works with MIT ReachOut literacy tutoring, and we also have an MIT work-study student leading a STEM program for our middle school students. The ReachOut tutoring has been a source of pride for our youth program for many years. The MIT students show great professionalism and provide our students with extremely valuable literacy tutoring. Our parents are also very grateful for this program, since most parents specifically request tutors each year. Without this program, our students would miss out on valuable one-on-one tutoring from MIT students. Our students show measurable improvement each year.

How do you think it helps to have MIT students serving the local community?
By having MIT students serve the local community, we are able to take advantage of a very valuable resource - the knowledge and expertise that these students have. MIT students are also becoming more engaged with the city of Cambridge, and they develop an understanding of the area they are living in during their college years. MIT shows its commitment to the community through these outreach efforts. We greatly appreciate everything MIT has done for us.

Darrin Korte
Director of Out-of-School Time Programs
Cambridge Community Center

What impact has the MIT Public Service Center had on your organization and those you serve?
Through the PSC, MIT students have helped inspire hundreds of girls in the Cambridge area by connecting with them directly in hands-on Science Clubs, preparing materials for these explorations, or working behind the scenes to raise funds for our programs. They have also organized other students to create a thousand science kits that have been distributed to girls and families and to present at our outreach events.

How do you think it helps to have MIT students serving the local community?
Whether through structured or informal conversations with girls, teens or parents, MIT students become aware of the aspirations and challenges their neighbors face. Through their service in the local community, MIT students feel connected because they may walk down the street or be shopping and have a young girl run up to them to say hello, or have a parent express their gratitude about how their girls' interest in science and engineering has been bolstered because of their efforts.

Connie Chow
Executive Director
Science Club for Girls