MIT's RAISE Program for High School Students - Is It a Worthwhile Program in AI?

If you’re an ambitious high school student looking for ways to learn about AI beyond the classroom, you should consider attending a summer program. There are several benefits to attending a pre-college program, including enhanced knowledge, interdisciplinary learning, practical experience, and the development of skills such as critical thinking and research.

STEM programs can deepen your understanding of various fields and help you narrow down your career goals. Additionally, you will work on research papers and projects that demonstrate your skills and talents. In the long term, this could be the boost that your college applications need! If you’re interested in pursuing STEM, you should consider the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s RAISE program.

What is MIT’s RAISE Program?

RAISE—Responsible AI for Social Empowerment and Education—is an MIT-wide initiative that focuses on preparing students for an AI-powered world. It is headquartered in the MIT Media Lab and has been organized by a collaboration between the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing and MIT Open Learning. The program aims to promote the understanding and use of AI through innovative learning and education.

How is MIT’s RAISE program structured?

Several different programs, projects, and resources are included within the RAISE umbrella, including the development of AI curricula, tools to support AI learning, AI tutorials, and initiatives to promote diversity and inclusion in AI. The initiative also has educational programs for K-12 students.

In this article, we will focus on MIT RAISE’s programs designed for high school students. Here are a few high school programs that you should check out:

MIT Beaver Works Summer Institute

Application deadline: March 31

Eligibility: Rising high school seniors who live and attend school in the US

Program dates: July 7 – August 3

Location: MIT, Cambridge, MA

Fee: Free for families with an income of less than $150,000. Families in a higher income bracket need to pay $2,350.

The MIT Beaver Works Summer Institute is a four-week STEM program for high school seniors. The program covers STEM topics through workshop-style courses, offering a range of topics including machine learning, robotics, cybersecurity, and more. The courses are project-based and include practical work, such as programming a small car to navigate a racetrack or developing routing algorithms in a simulated disaster scenario. This is a fairly prestigious program, but it comes with a lengthy application process. You first need to register for a set of online courses, after which you will apply for the in-person summer program at the end of March. You can learn more about the application process here. To learn more about this program, check out our complete guide here. 

Day of AI

Application deadline: You can register for a Day of AI anytime

Eligibility: All students and educators  

Program dates: You can sign up for a Day of AI at any time. The annual celebration takes place on May 13

Location: Online. The annual celebration takes place in the Museum of Science, Boston, MA

Fee: Free

Led by RAISE faculty, the Day of AI offers a full-day curriculum for elementary, middle, and high school students. These include activities and AI literature that cover fundamental topics in AI and are available entirely free of charge for both students and teachers. While you can register for a Day of AI at any point in time, the program has an annual global celebration in May.  

MIT FutureMakers

Application deadline: March 29

Eligibility: All high school students studying within the US, citizenship is not required   

Program dates: July 1 – August 9

Location: Online

Fee: Free

MIT FutureMakers is a six-week virtual program that focuses on AI and computational action. The program consists of a 4-week training phase followed by a 2-week Create-a-thon, during which you will participate in a pitch competition. You will learn the fundamentals of AI and machine learning and use toolkits like MIT App Inventor to develop AI solutions to problems. High school students can choose from three different tracks—mobile app development with Convo AI, AI and machine learning, or Data Activism.

Is MIT’s RAISE prestigious?

MIT is recognized for its cutting-edge research and highly ranked academic programs, particularly in fields such as engineering and computer science. Programs associated with MIT automatically benefit from the university’s resources and faculty members, making RAISE a prestigious initiative to be associated with. Additionally, the programs within RAISE are free, have selective admission, and offer unique experiences, which further increases the value of RAISE.

Pros and Cons of MIT’s RAISE

Pros

1. You will engage with an advanced curriculum: You can expect a high level of academic learning as well as plenty of practical experience from the programs organized by RAISE.

2. You will participate in a prestigious program: As mentioned above, RAISE’s programs are all prestigious opportunities, and attending one could boost your college applications.

3. You can participate at no cost: The programs listed above are offered free of charge, making them accessible to a wider range of students.

4. You can take inter-disciplinary courses: MIT FutureMakers and Beaver Works, in particular, provide insights into the intersection of fields such as machine learning and medicine or game design and artificial intelligence.

5. You will have access to additional resources: RAISE offers other tools and resources in addition to its academic programs, which can supplement your school education.

Cons

1. You will face a competitive admissions process: All the RAISE programs are highly sought after and difficult to gain admission into (except Day of AI).  

2. You will likely have to participate virtually: Aside from Beaver Works, the other two programs for high school students are online and might not offer the tangible experience of an in-person program.  

3. You must focus on STEM: While RAISE and its programs do offer some interdisciplinary exploration, they are best suited for students interested in computer science, engineering, or related fields. Students who want to explore other subjects may not find RAISE as valuable. 

Our Review–Is it Legit?

MIT’s RAISE is an umbrella initiative that includes various tools, resources, curricula, and programs. However, this review focuses on the programs for high school students that fall under RAISE. Beaver Works, Day of AI, and FutureMakers are all programs that offer a good opportunity to learn more about STEM.

Unlike the other two, Beaver Works offers the added benefit of a physical university campus experience. Meanwhile, MIT FutureMakers has a unique hackathon component in its curriculum. The Day of AI is a significantly shorter program, but it could be a valuable program for those who don’t have the time and capacity to travel that a full summer program requires.

All in all, RAISE is a valuable initiative to tap into, offering several resources that can help you achieve your academic goals. Its high school programs are prestigious opportunities, but ultimately, each program meets different needs, and you must consider your goals when choosing which one to apply for.

Bonus program - Veritas AI - AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase 

Location: Virtual

Cost: $5,400 for the 15-week AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase 

Application deadline: Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November).

Program dates: Varies according to the cohort: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.

Eligibility: AI Fellowship applicants should either have completed the AI Scholars program or exhibit experience with AI concepts or Python.

Veritas AI focuses on providing high school students who are passionate about the field of AI with a suitable environment in which to explore their interests. The programs include collaborative learning, project development, and 1-on-1 mentorship. Students are expected to have a basic understanding of Python or are recommended to complete the AI scholars program before pursuing the fellowship. The AI Fellowship program will allow students to pursue independent AI research projects. Students work on their research projects over 15 weeks and can opt to combine AI with any other field of interest.You can find examples of previous projects here. 

One other option—the Lumiere Research Scholar Program

If you’re interested in pursuing independent research, consider applying to one of the Lumiere Research Scholar Programs, selective online high school programs for students founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 4,000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here.

Also check out the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation, a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students. Last year, we had 150 students on full need-based financial aid!

Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper. 

Image Source - Lumiere Education logo