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Notes from the Field
MISTIBrazil
Brazil
Experience Brazil’s outstanding potential, welcoming and richly diverse people, and innovation culture first-hand.
Cost neutral internships for MIT students at Brazilian companies, research institutes and universities.
Notes from the Field
Brazil Program Details
Preparation & Training
MIT-Brazil matches MIT students with internships and research opportunities at leading companies, research labs and universities in Brazil. Internships can last anywhere from 3 to 12 months and the program expenses are covered.
Timeline
Application deadline
Placement for Summer Opportunities take place between December and March.
If you are intent on going to Brazil connected to a company, reasearch or teaching opportunity, please go to MISTI's Online Application Portal, select MIT-Brazil program, create a profile, upload the requested documents, select a time to meet the director. Also, please send an email to mit-brazil@mit.edu to ask for a list of partners and open positions. You may also visit https://misti-brazil.mit.edu/.
Summer Internship Placement process
Students who apply online are matched with an internship host, and encouraged to take an active role in this process by researching potential hosts (both past and new), reaching out to relevant alumni or other contacts, and interviewing with proposed placement teams/labs.
Final placement is usually determined no later than March. Mandatory training sessions are then held March - May.
Dates and duration
Most internships take place in the summer for 9-12 weeks, starting between the last week of May and the 2nd week of June and ending in the 3rd or 4th week of August. Longer internships of 3-12 months with flexible start/end dates are also available.
Eligibility
Open to MIT undergraduates, graduating seniors, and graduate students in all disciplines
Requirements
GPA
4.0 or better
Language
Undergraduates: 2-4 semesters Portuguese language courses (depending on host) OR equivalent proficiency
Graduate students: Language requirement waived depending on available internships
Check out Portuguese language courses at MIT
Prerequisites
Undergraduates: No prerequisites
Graduate students: No prerequisites
Funding
All program expenses are covered, including airfare and a stipend to cover food and accommodation.
Preparation
Students are required to attend MIT-Brazil training and preparation sessions in March/May and a checkout meeting with the managing director before departure.
A generous gift from the Jorge Paulo Lemann Foundation has created a pilot program to support Lemann Education Fellowships at MIT.
Lemann Education Fellowship
Every year three 9-month fellowships are awarded to outstanding MIT graduate students to further their studies at MIT in education, educational technology and innovation, educational policy and reform, and related areas. The value of the fellowship is up to $65,000 (most of the fellowship is to cover tuition costs).
Eligibility
Masters students may apply for a fellowship for their first year (in the spring of the year they plan to first matriculate). In addition, advanced masters and doctoral students may apply for a Lemann research fellowship to support thesis research related to education in Brazil. Graduate students from all schools and disciplines are eligible subject to the following priorities.
Requirements
Preference will be given to applicants from Brazil, and then to applicants from any country working on issues relevant to advancing education in Brazil.
Preference will be given to masters students, then doctoral students.
More information here https://misti-brazil.mit.edu/lemann-fellowships-mit
Procedures
Incoming students must first apply and be admitted to their program of choice at MIT. Once admitted at MIT, then students submit directly a further application for a Lemann Fellowship. Applications for incoming masters students, advanced masters and doctoral students will be open in January.
Deadline
Applications are due by April 1st by email to RLCK@mit.edu.
For more information, please contact Rosabelli Coelho-Keyssar Program Manager, MIT Brazil at RLCK@mit.edu.
MIT-Brazil's Global Teaching Labs offer a unique opportunity for MIT students to learn by teaching and share MIT's "mens et manus" approach with Brazilian students through STEAMD and entrepreneurship workshops.
Overview
The main goal of the MIT Global Teaching Lab in Brazil is to expose Brazilian middle school, high school of first year undergrad students’ to the joy of teaching and learning STEAMD topics, engaging them in building a stronger foundation for lifelong education and fostering diverse career aspirations.
MIT students work in teams of 2 to 6 students to develop STEAMD-focused (and possibly entrepreneurship) workshops and teach classes emphasizing MIT's "Mens et Manus" approach, using hands-on activities (experiments, demonstrations, etc.). Some of the GTL topics that we would like to have MIT students develop and facilitate workshops are below.
Brazil IAP teaching opportunities
- Teach robotics, and CS to high school students
- Teaching STEAMD to underprivileged students (Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Nanotechnology,... very important to have basic Portuguese / fluent Spanish)
- Team teach week-long, self-designed Entrepreneurship, Leadership & Product Design
- Teach app creation with AppInventor
- Teach math, physics, biology and other topics through Creative Learning (Projects, Peers, Passion and Play)
As January in Brazil is a period of vacation, we need to bring the students to workshops that will have a final product. Many of the past successful workshops have included learning of design thinking, prototyping and programming. With emphasis on disadvantaged student populations, teams are placed at one of several potential hosts, including an English school where low-income students receive scholarships to study English; a scientific program for girls called Futuras Cientistas; a maker space; and an NGO that works for social impact through educational activities. Our goal for this year is to grow closer to the Lemann Creative Learning Program at the Lifelong Kindergarten at the Media Lab and to their work with educators in Brazil https://www.media.mit.edu/projects/creative-learning-in-brazil/overview/
Each host has specific needs that inform MIT-Brazil’s selection of applicants and organization of teams. We work to find a balance between the topics the MIT students are most passionate to teach and what the GTL partners expect in Brazil.
Timeline
APPLICATION DUE: See GTL deadline here
PLACEMENT PROCESS
- Sep after deadline: Applications reviewed; select students contacted for interview
- Late Sept - Early October: Interviews (students will teach a topic in 10 minute and bring a workshop suggestion)
- October (second week): Letters of acceptance are sent out to the selected students
- October (third week): Commitment from accepted students due
- October-early december: Mandatory training sessions and travel logistics
Dates and duration
Projects run about 4 weeks in January, starting on the first day of IAP and ending the Friday before the first day of classes.
Eligibility
We welcome any MIT student willing to fully commit to a challenging teaching project.
Requirements
Learn about Creative Learning: https://learn.media.mit.edu/lcl/
Passion and talent for teaching/learning and ability to excite about STEAMD concepts (with or without prior teaching experience) both in front of classroom and 1-on-1
Readiness to commit full-time to host and project during IAP and spend several hours/week during semester from Oct. to Dec. to develop workshops.
Ability to authoritatively lead and manage class of 10-15 as well as guide and mentor individuals
Adaptability to diverse team and unfamiliar work and living arrangements in new culture
Serious interest in participating in MIT-Brazil GTL for 2 consecutive years is highly valued
Experience teaching beginner-level English speakers highly valued for select placements
LANGUAGE
Portuguese is NOT required for most placements, but beginner Portuguese ability is valued. (Check out Portuguese Language taught at MIT)
Advanced Portuguese language ability is highly valued for select placements. If you are Brazilian and would like to be part of a GTL team, please email mit-brazil@mit.edu
GPA
≈4.0 or better required
Funding
We've got you covered for all necessities: airfare, housing, and stipend for basic living expenses.
Preparation
From the time you're accepted until you arrive in Brazil in January, your team will meet frequently and you'll also work independently to brainstorm ideas, prepare lesson plans, and procure and test materials. The AppInventor team will work with AppInventor Masters at MIT. Teams will also coordinate with in-country partners and host school teachers via phone, Skype, etc. You also must commit to attending 3-4 training sessions in October/November on teaching skills and Brazilian culture and education.
Contact Us
Contact the Program Manager with questions about the program
