2018-2019-STEAM-Superheroes - Flipbook - Page 24
RESOURCES FOR SCHOOL LEADERS
Sample email: Introducing the MIT Challenges to parents
Dear Parents,
WARNING: You may start to see a lot of superhero art donning the [insert school name] hallways. Rest
assured this makover is not just about pop culture and fictitious super powers. STEAM Superheroes is the
theme of this year’s MIT Challenges. Over the course of the year, [insert school name] students will be
introduced to three MIT professors whose research contains elements of superheroism:
• Prof. Anette “Peko” Hosoi and her animal-inspired engineering
• Prof. Leia Stirling and her wearable technology to quantify and improve human performance
• Prof. Chris Voigt and his programming language for cells to combat disease
Option 1: Planning process
We are planning how the MIT Challenges will be implemented here at [insert school name]. Over the
course of the year, students will learn more about these professors and will be inspired to think about the
natural world, wearable technology, and human health in new ways. We hope you are as excited as we
are to bring these STEAM Superheroes and their research to life this year. We will keep you abreast of
the MIT Challenges as we continue our planning process.
Option 2: Share your implementation plans
[Insert your school’s specific plans for the MIT Challenges in your school. For example: Year 6 and 7 students
will participate in Epic Identity featuring Leia Stirling by collecting and analyzing Fitbit and Apple Watch data
with the aim of designing a product that can impact performance.]
Sample email: Call for collaborators
(to MIT Club, parents, local businesses)
Dear [insert name],
Nord Anglia’s collaboration with MIT includes three MIT Challenges each school year. This year’s theme is
STEAM Superheroes, and includes these three challenges: Super Natural featuring Prof. Peko Hosoi, which
highlights animal-inspired design; Epic Identify featuring Prof. Leia Stirling, about wearable technology and
quantifying human performance, and Medical Marvel featuring Prof. Chris Voigt, which encourages students
to engineer biology to improve human health.
We are reaching out to our community to identify potential local collaborators that might enhance the
experience for our students. If you have expertise that can help, we would love to hear from you.
Option 1: Generic call for collaborators
In particular we are seeking:
• Professionals with relevant expertise to speak to our students
• Workshop leaders who can lead a session relevant to the STEAM Superheroes topics
• Mentors to coach students as they work on projects
• Evaluators to critique student projects at our year-end showcase
If you have ideas about potential collaborators or are interested in supporting the MIT Challenges, please
contact our MIT School Lead: [insert name, title, and email address].
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