Overview.
In 2021, the Bridge Program consisted of a 12-week remote initiative carried out in collaboration with the MIT Media Lab. The program featured a curriculum developed by Bridge and MIT’s Community Biotechnology Initiative that spanned topics in science, technology, leadership, and community organizing and engagement.
The 2021 Bridge Program curriculum involved twelve themed weeks:
Week 1
Leadership Part 1: Introduction to Public Narrative
Using storytelling to share the “stories of self" that call us to leadership.
Abel Cano
(Arc of Change)
Week 2
Microbial Music
Making music from data generated about the trillions of micro-organisms that inhabit the human body.
David Sun Kong, Ph.D.
(MIT Media Lab)
Cas Smith
(Ginkgo Bioworks)
Week 3
Synthetic Biology Futures
Imagining futures where synthetic biology is reshaping how we make medicines, food, materials, energy, and more.
David Sun Kong, Ph.D.
(MIT Media Lab)
Cas Smith
(Ginkgo Bioworks)
Week 4
Leadership Part 2: Team Building
Working in teams to define our team’s norms and shared purpose for how we will mobilize our communities.
Abel Cano
(Arc of Change)
Week 5
Civics & Computation
Exploring how digital currency and blockchain technology can decentralize power and create new systems of value
Jaleesa Trapp
(Lifelong Kindergarten, MIT Media Lab)
Week 6
Artificial Intelligence & Creativity
Working in our teams to define the strategies and tactics for how we will implement our final project ideas.
Professor Cynthia Breazeal, Safinah Ali, Daniella DiPaola
(Personal Robots, MIT Media Lab)
Week 7
Blockchain & Digital Currency
Using artificial intelligence to augment humanity’s creative forms of expression from visual art to music and poetry.
Neha Narula, Ph.D., Shira Frank
(Digital Currency Initiative, MIT Media Lab)
Week 8
Leadership Part 3: Strategy & Tactics
Using coding tools like Scratch to tell the stories of our communities.
Abel Cano
(Arc of Change)
Week 9
Space Exploration: Part 1
Exploring the frontiers of space exploration, from the expanding universe to advanced optics.
Professor Dava Newman
(MIT Media Lab)
Ariel Ekblaw, Ph.D.
(MIT Media Lab)
Kenneth Harris
(NASA Goddard)
Week 10
Space Exploration: Part 2
Working in teams to solve space missions close to Earth and throughout the galaxy.
Professor Danielle Wood
(Space Enabled, MIT Media Lab)
Kenneth Harris
(NASA Goddard)
Projects
The Bridge Program culminates with the students delivering final projects that demonstrate both an application in science/technology, and empower their classroom, family, neighborhood, and community.
Our project aims to provide more exposure to Space Science to Boston Public Schools students to improve the diversity in gender and races in the Space Science related fields. We hope to provide more opportunities for under-resourced students to explore their interests in Space Science.
Team: Phuong An Bui, Yassine Eljamali, Jack He, Priscille Hogu. Mentor: Teja Jammalamadaka
There are huge racial disparities in rates of health insurance coverage in the US. We aim to develop tools that allow immigrants to take control over their health. Our first product is a telehealth platform that will be piloted in Dorchester and other Boston communities. We hope to help decrease the healthcare access gap in the Boston area.
Team: Angeles Figuerola, Aspen Johnson, Ifrah Abdullah. Mentor: Guillermo Herrera-Arcos
We are striving to combat environmental racism to support and improve communities in Massachusetts by exploring bioengineering technology that can reduce pollution, while conducting community outreach and education on environmental racism and clean energy.
Team: Devin Wilson Joutres, Julian Sustach, Parmis Mokhtari-Dizaji, Yong Di Huang. Mentor: Adrian Caesar
Our challenge is to collect data and create a map that visualizes issues related to health and climate, then to share this data with companies and organizations who can provide resources and solutions to mapped problems.
Team: Matthew Rosales, Jeanette Sandoval, Christian Jean-Louis. Mentors: Rachael Edmondson & Cole Prowitt-Smith
bioCharles aims to use bioremediation and synthetic biology technology to tailor new microbes into specific polluted spots within the Charles River in order to combat pollution. We also hope to foster educational programs for further pollution prevention.
Team: Zhuo Yan Jiang, Addy Dean, Adem Ayed, Olivia Chen. Mentor: Jenni Nguyen
Students explore a model using synthetic biology and engineered growing techniques to create a model focused on sustainability and production. This is in an effort to create an equitable, healthy and affordable food system with an emphasis on accessibility for all regardless of socioeconomic background.
Team: LiYuan Chen, Jesse Givens, Amy Cui. Mentor: Eva MacDonald
Our project aims to help lower income and underserved members of our communities receive improved physical protection from the elements, as well as bring environmentally sustainable and affordable clothing alternatives, while helping remediate pollution through the use of recycled materials.
Team: Alexa Berthold, Connor Lashley, Joshua Tackie, Zanna Berthold. Mentor: Taylor Pierce
Our goal is to better our communities by helping households and communities access the internet. By creating greater access for learning and staying connected, we can help future generations create equity. We believe that improved access to information, school, healthcare, public forums, social and professional opportunities will increase participation in our society.
Team: Ajah Johnson, Markell Jones, Zhuo Rui Jiang, Damare Cain. Mentors: Zion Griffith & Lani Willmar
Thank You to Our Partners & Collaborators
Instructors & Guest Lecturers:
Dr. Dava Newman
MIT Media Lab
Dr. Cynthia Breazeal
MIT Media Lab
Dr. Danielle Wood
MIT Media Lab
Cas Smith
Ginkgo Bioworks
David Sun Jong, Ph.D.
Community Biotechnology Initiative; MIT Media Lab
Ariel Ekblaw, Ph.D.
Space Exploration Initiative; MIT Media La
Neha Narula, Ph.D.
Digital Currency Initiative; MIT Media Lab
Kenneth Harris II
NASA
Abel Cano
Arc of Change
Daniel DiPaola
Personal Robots; MIT Media Lab
Shira Frank
Digital Currency Initiative; MIT Media Lab)
Jaleesa Trapp
Lifelong Kindergarten; MIT Media Lab
Safinah Ali
Personal Robots; MIT Media Lab
Omari Hardwick
Mentors:
Adrian Caesar
Analyst at Optimal Energy, Brown University
Cole Prowitt-Smith
Williams College
Eva MacDonald
Career Specialist, Boston Private Industry Council, Mass Amherst
Guillermo Herrera-Arcos
Robotics, Neuroengineering, Health Tech, MIT Media Lab
Jenny Nguyễn
Wellseley College
Lani Wilmar
Unlock Her Potential, Questbridge Scholars, Williams College
Mani Sai Suryateja Jammalamadaka
MIT Civil Engineering
Rachael Edmonson
Social Services, Providence College
Taylor Pierce
Tech Staffing Research & Recruiting, M.Ed. Student, Middlebury College
Zion Griffin
Tech Staffing Research & Recruiting, Brandeis University
Technical Advisors:
Todd Thorsen
Technical Staff, MIT Lincoln Laboratory
Jaleesa Trapp
Grad Student, Life Long Kindergarten, Media Lab
Daniella DiPaola
Grad Student, Personal Robots, Media Lab
Sebastian Kamau
Grad Student, Sculpting Evolutin, Media Lab
Angela Vujic
Grad Student, Fluid Interfaces, Media Lab
Andres Rico
Grad Student, City Science, Media Lab
Adam Horowitz
Grad Student, Fluid Interfaces, Media Lab
Dana Gretton
Grad Student, Sculpting Evolution, Media Lab
Wesley Block
Undergraduate, Material Sciences & Engineering, MIT
Diane M. Diehl, Ph.D.
Senior Director, Scientific Operations, Waters Corporation
Kelly Johnson
Director, Immerse Innovation and Research Lab Network, Waters Corporation
Hannah Rolon
QA Supervisor, Waters Corporation