Skip to content
Learning — Story — Technology — Courses — Engineering — Science — Entrepreneurship — Faculty — Alumni

Sci-Tech Innovation Student Initiative Paves Way for Science and Engineering Aspiration Realization

High numbers of Caribbean scholars leveraging SPISE as gateway for entrance into elite STEM institutions such as MIT.

,   and  Administrator
3 min read
Caribbean students increasingly rely on the Student Program for Innovation in Science and...
Caribbean students increasingly rely on the Student Program for Innovation in Science and Engineering (SPISE) as a stepping stone towards MIT and prestigious STEM programs.

Sci-Tech Innovation Student Initiative Paves Way for Science and Engineering Aspiration Realization

In a casual chat, let's talk about the road less traveled by some MIT students. Instead of the usual yarn about a favorite science teacher or an obsession with computers, you might hear tales of an extraordinary summer program invitation. This isn't the usual canoe-paddling, cabin-dwelling camp experience; no, this is a scholarly sojourn that takes place in classrooms and labs, filled with discussions about Arduinos, variable scope and aliasing, and Michaelis-Menten enzyme kinetics. This intellectual playground isn't found in your typical summer campground, but rather on the vibrant Cave Hill campus of the University of the West Indies in the heart of Barbados. The students, gifted Caribbean high schoolers aged 16-18, have been handpicked for the extremely competitive Student Program for Innovation in Science and Engineering (SPISE).

For many, SPISE serves as the gateway to MIT. According to Cardinal Warde, MIT professor of electrical engineering and founder of SPISE, hailing from the Caribbean himself, over the past decade, a whopping 30 of the 245 students from the SPISE program have graced the halls of MIT as undergraduate and graduate students.

While several SPISE alumni have gone on to other prestigious institutions such as Harvard, Stanford, Caltech, Princeton, Columbia, and the University of Pennsylvania, the focus on science and technology creates a natural pipeline to MIT. Faculty and instructors from MIT volunteered their time and expertise to help Warde design a curriculum that rivals MIT's own, balancing intensity with engagement.

Jacob White, the Cecil H. Green Professor in Electrical Engineering, was one of the first to lend a hand. When COVID forced SPISE to move online, Professor Warde felt it crucial to maintain hands-on engineering labs, and enlisted White's help. Kits were cobbled together, using EECS-donated microcontroller boards, motors, and magnets, and made their way to students spread across numerous Caribbean islands. White and his graduate students collaborated to create a curriculum that equipped students with the fundamentals to design their own projects.

Now, imagine yourself as one of these students, soaking up knowledge in tropical Barbados, on the fast-track to MIT - a far cry from the typical cabins and canoes of summer camp, but a journey that could very well change your life.

  1. These students, nestled within the vibrant Cave Hill campus of the University of the West Indies in Barbados, are not recounting tales of favorite science teachers or computer obsessions; instead, they share stories of an extraordinary summer program invitation.
  2. In this scholarly sojourn, they delve into discussions about Arduinos, variable scope and aliasing, and Michaelis-Menten enzyme kinetics, not in a typical summer campground, but in classrooms and labs.
  3. The students, handpicked high schoolers aged 16-18 from the Caribbean, are part of the Student Program for Innovation in Science and Engineering (SPISE), which serves as a gateway to MIT for many.
  4. Over the past decade, 30 of the 245 students from SPISE have become part of the MIT community, either as undergraduate or graduate students.
  5. Despite spiriting away to prestigious institutions like Harvard, Stanford, Caltech, Princeton, Columbia, and the University of Pennsylvania, the focus on science and technology creates a natural pipeline to MIT for SPISE alumni.
  6. The curriculum designed for SPISE rivals that of MIT, meticulously balanced by faculty and instructors from MIT to ensure both intensity and engagement.
  7. When COVID forced SPISE to move online, Jacob White, the Cecil H. Green Professor in Electrical Engineering, volunteered his time and expertise to help maintain hands-on engineering labs, despite students being spread across various Caribbean islands.
  8. Kits containing microcontroller boards, motors, and magnets were assembled and sent to students, enabling them to learn the fundamental principles for designing their own projects.
  9. As you imagine yourself as one of these students, soaking up knowledge in tropical Barbados, you journey toward MIT - a far cry from the typical cabins and canoes of summer camp, yet a path that could very well shape your life.
  10. Education and self-development intertwine in this story, as these extraordinary students explore the dynamic worlds of engineering, science, and technology, paving their paths towards becoming potential alumni of MIT.

Read also:

    Related

    Latest