MIT-KIS: Curiosity, Creativity & Collaboration

February 2026

Aldaine Hunt is the MIT-KIS program coordinator and a middle school science teacher. Below, he reports on the successful 2026 MIT-KIS workshops for secondary students and schoolwide classroom collaborations. Also check out the video featuring MIT and KIS students reflecting on the experience. 

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The 2026 MIT-KIS Winter Workshops continue a proud 11-year partnership between Korea International School and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), bringing together world-class mentorship and student-centered STEM learning. MIT-KIS unites passionate learners, innovative mentors, and a shared commitment to discovery, crafting meaningful opportunities for students to explore science, creativity, and innovation through hands-on experiences and collaborative problem solving.

At the heart of the program is a commitment to educational excellence, critical thinking, and community-driven learning. In workshops and classrooms, MIT facilitators are current MIT students who bring a range of expertise to the program. In workshops, they supported students in disciplines including CAD design, Arduino programming, engineering, electricity, chemistry and nanomaterials, coding, and interdisciplinary creative projects. In classrooms, facilitators worked with teachers to enhance learning. Teachers appreciated facilitators’ strong pedagogical thinking, instructional design skills, and ability to foster inquiry-based learning that encouraged experimentation, iteration, and strategic problem solving.

Peer-to-peer mentorship also plays a central role in the MIT-KIS. MIT facilitators build authentic relationships with KIS learners, serving as mentors, collaborators, and role models while sharing insights into university pathways, innovation processes, and real-world applications of STEM. Throughout the program students were engaged and enthusiastic, often extending their learning independently and producing diverse solutions from common starting points. Teachers and students noted that facilitators were consistently helpful, patient, supportive, and knowledgeable, contributing to a learning environment that empowered students to take risks and grow in confidence.

There is a broader impact of mentorship beyond technical skills too, as MIT facilitators helped students reimagine their own potential as innovators and global citizens.

Their visit made a real impact in how our students see their own potential as future innovators and global citizens.

Together, MIT facilitators and KIS students demonstrated the power of collaborative learning, continuing this program’s positive impact on our community and strengthening our commitment to educational excellence.