FCEP: Freshman Cultural Exploration Program

The Program

What if you could start your four years at MIT by getting together with a diverse group of students on campus to communicate openly about current local and world issues concerning race, ethnicity, justice and human rights and equality? In this new pre-orientation program our goal is to have fun conversations about serious issues in a relaxed, informal setting.  You’ll have a chance to explore your own culture and identity, learn about and connect with people from different cultures and backgrounds and exchange ideas and problem solve with others with different points of view. 

FCEP is for you if you follow US, your home country and/or world events on a daily basis (as in you’re a “political junkie”) but you’ll also feel right at home if you’ve never read a newspaper or looked at an internet news site in your life and you know nothing about current (or past) domestic or world issues.

Join us in this brand new FPOP to have great conversations, explore real world problems and concerns, and perhaps have a positive impact on the world starting with your first MIT experience.

What Will We Do?

We’ll begin the program with conversations, workshops and activities designed to help you connect and build strong relationships with one another.  Throughout the week you’ll learn about and discuss real issues and problems in the US and the world.  Participants will be able to choose some of our topics for discussion. By the end of the week you’ll develop and complete your own small project (or proposal for a project) and possibly continue your project throughout fall semester (with help from program personnel and for academic credit).

You’ll learn about the area on our Boston/Cambridge scavenger hunt as well as “field trips” to interesting neighborhoods, historical monuments and nonprofit organizations.  We’ll have dinner out at a couple of great ethnic restaurants and we’ll see a play one evening.   And, of course, our experienced counselors will help you figure out everything you need to know about MIT

FCEP specifics