Jules Walter, a 21-year-old junior, spent a month in Ghana last year where he taught villagers to make charcoal from agricultural waste. “The method is great because forests will no longer need to be cut down to make wood charcoal, and local entrepreneurs can use the know-how to set up small businesses,” he says.

Mens et manus — theory and practice, mind and hand — has been the guiding principle of an MIT education. Walter’s project is just one example of project-based learning, which enhances undergraduate education at the Institute by giving students a chance to have real-world learning experience.

Walter, who studies electrical engineering and computer science, participates in D-Lab, an MIT class that teaches undergraduates how to deliver technology to the developing world — and it’s just one of many Institute programs that offer students the opportunity to learn outside the classroom, a priority of an MIT undergraduate education. Other programs that offer students this experience include the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP), the IDEAS Competition, Public Service Fellowships, and MIT Student Clubs and Teams.

MIT’s hands-on learning initiatives are living laboratories, as well as opportunities for students to help people in need across the globe. The best part of D-Lab, Walter says, is the fieldwork.

“Fieldwork and the classroom complement each other,” he says. “In class, you solve problems that are abstract; in the field, you solve problems that are concrete. You need both experiences.”

Just because a student receives A’s on problem sets and quizzes doesn’t mean he or she is good at solving real problems, says J. Kim Vandiver, professor of mechanical engineering and dean for undergraduate research.

“By solving real problems, students are motivated to learn, they develop more confidence, and when they leave MIT, they have a greater belief that they can go out and do things to actually change the world,” Vandiver says. “Hands-on learning really helps students make career choices,” he adds. “Maybe a student went to Zambia to work in health care and decides on a medical career. Or, maybe they’ve never traveled outside the U.S. but now realize they love it and will take a job in Germany. It just opens mental doorways.”

D-Lab is a program of MIT’s Edgerton Center. Other hands-on programs at the Institute are detailed below.

• UROP matches students with faculty in research partnerships. Since 1969, it has been the centerpiece of an MIT education. Students jump at the chance to participate in cutting-edge research, and faculty jump at the chance to get research assistance from lively, creative undergraduates.
• The IDEAS Competition, a joint project of the Edgerton Center and the Public Service Center, is an invention and entrepreneurship competition that helps communities worldwide.
• Public Service Fellowships provide stipends that enable students to work full-time in the summer and on winter break on community projects all over the world. Students work in collaboration with community organizations worldwide.
• Grants are available to faculty, students, and other MIT community members interested in projects that involve MIT students in community development. For faculty interested in incorporating community development projects into their coursework, the grants can cover materials, travel, and other expenses; or, grants may enable students to continue an independent service project. They also can help a student group turn ideas and prototypes into real products. These experiences can help students learn better, be more confident, and when they leave MIT, have a greater belief that they can go out and do things to positively change the world.
• There are 24 Student Clubs and Teams on campus, and they involve students in real-world design and fabrication projects. Students direct all aspects of their work, from group management and finances to project design, sourcing, and fabrication. The Edgerton Center provides funding, use of vehicles, and workspace. Example teams include MIT AITI, which teaches information-age skills in Africa; and STOMP, which brings engineering education to local schools. The Vehicle Design Summit is working on the design of a new generation of fuel-efficient vehicle. Other teams have built autonomous soccer-playing robots for competition in Munich, flown crewless airplanes in Virginia, and raced solar cars across the Australian desert.
• The K-12 Educational Outreach Program engages over 3,000 K-12 students in the greater Boston area in hands-on science and engineering activities suited to various grade levels, free of cost. The mission is to get youth excited about science, math, and engineering. Edgerton Center staff and students are now helping to create engineering curricula in Boston high schools. They supported five FIRST robotics teams at a recent regional competition. FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is a national robotics competition for high school students.

Project-based learning gives students the opportunity to have real-world experiences and often also gives them the chance to travel the world, opening their minds to diverse people, cultures, and perspectives. Gifts to project-based learning help build students’ confidence and leadership skills, and they offer an opportunity for students to discover their life’s work.