MIT Edgerton Center

MIT Edgerton Center Since 1992, expanding hands-on learning at MIT and beyond

The MIT Edgerton Center continues the hands-on legacy of beloved Institute Professor Harold (Doc) Edgerton. At the Edgerton Center, we believe that students can learn to master complex challenges, discover their competencies, and find their inspiration through hands-on project-based learning. To that end, we support student teams in engineering competitions, offer classes, provide workshop space,

and engage students in service projects in developing countries. We also advance kindergarten through 12th grade STEM education through our classes, intenstive summer programs, curricula development, and professional development workshops.

09/02/2026

Wonder. Question. Explore. Collaborate. Reflect.

This hands-on seminar opens space and time to explore your own curiosity. Collaborate in experimenting with everyday materials, instruments, and methods of science and art. Relate to history and indigenous practices. Observe outdoors. Listen to past voices from science, poets, artists, historical students, Black history, and others. Examine injustice. Building a learning community with classmates. Encourage each other’s curiosity. Museum and library visits; other field trips.

Past project include: watching the sky; following shadows; art projects with historical methods; dress-making; using and making historical instruments; charcoal art and burn; storytelling; collaborative experiments; presentations; enacting historical and feminist drama; MIT history...

What will YOU notice and question, explore and express?

Your own story uncovers insights for educational research.

Recreate Experiments from History: Inform the Future with the Past (EC.050/090) with Elizabeth Cavicchi
Meeting Thursdays 3-5 PM beginning September 15th, 2026 | 6 units

Hey, MIT First Years! We invite you to meet the Edgerton Center during First Year Explorations on September 3rd. We were...
08/31/2026

Hey, MIT First Years! We invite you to meet the Edgerton Center during First Year Explorations on September 3rd. We were a Makerspace before there were Makerspaces 😎🛠️ Today, we’re home to MIT’s student clubs and teams, cross-curriculuar makerspaces, and some awesome outreach programs. If there’s something you want to make, more than likely you can make it here.

Drop in between:
1-3 PM to freeze a balloon mid-pop with an Edgerton Center specialty: Strobe Photography
1-5 PM to expand your spontaneity, pursue your curiosity, and seek new patterns through the art of Marbling

We can’t wait to welcome you to the MIT Maker community. See you there!

📍 Strobe Alley (4th floor of Building 4)
⏰ 1-3 PM Balloon Pops; 1-5 PM Marbling
🗓️ Thursday, September 3rd

Wonder what MIT students do in the Makerspace for fun? For 4-409 regular Maeve Macpherson ‘29, the answer (this week) is...
08/24/2026

Wonder what MIT students do in the Makerspace for fun? For 4-409 regular Maeve Macpherson ‘29, the answer (this week) is creating stellar custom wall art for her apartment. Based on the popular series Invader Zim, Maeve designed, laser cut, painted, and assembled this adorable alien portrait right here in the Student Project Lab.

Fun fact: Maeve first visited 4-409 as part of Interphase... and basically never left! She is a 4-409 Student Shop mentor during the school year, and this summer she mentored for three (!!!) different programs at the Edgerton Center.

Curious what all the Makerspace hype is about? Have your own space to decorate with niche pop culture references? Looking for a creative and supportive Maker community on campus? Drop by any time & get Making!

How do you celebrate 25 years of impact in STEM education at MIT? Memorialize the classroom, its signature activities, a...
08/19/2026

How do you celebrate 25 years of impact in STEM education at MIT? Memorialize the classroom, its signature activities, and its incredible lead educator Amy Fitzgerald in LEGO, of course!

The meticulously designed custom set - which has more than 650 pieces and its own bespoke instructional booklet - was created by Shane Fitzgerald (MIT ‘20) in honor of his mom’s milestone anniversary. Since joining the Edgerton Center in 2001, Amy has welcomed more than 60,000 local students into Strobe Alley for engaging, hands-on STEM field trips. And she’s just getting started!

Drop some congratulations for Amy in the comments, and read more about her impact and legacy at edgerton.mit.edu/news

Each summer, the Edgerton Center’s Engineering Design Workshop (EDW) welcomes high school students from around the world...
08/07/2026

Each summer, the Edgerton Center’s Engineering Design Workshop (EDW) welcomes high school students from around the world into the Student Project Lab. What happens next is anyone’s guess! This year, students prototyped prosthetics for parrots, built robot dogs, designed glasses to help you see the stars, and more. Every year, strangers become friends, mentors become collaborators, and wild ideas become reality. Check out some photos from this year’s session taken by all-star mentor Jonathan Dietz, and read all about the program on his blog: edw2026.blogspot.com

ICYMI: FIRSTxMIT is making headlines and hanging with the Governor! 🤖✨ Visit edgerton.mit.edu/news to read all about the...
06/30/2026

ICYMI: FIRSTxMIT is making headlines and hanging with the Governor! 🤖✨ Visit edgerton.mit.edu/news to read all about their trip to the Governor’s Cup, and how this new MIT student club for FIRST Robotics alumni aims to promote hands-on STEM education enrichment for K-12 students.

📸 photos courtesy of MIT News

…and you’re watching TIMney Channel 🪄✨Amy Fitzgerald and her team of (recently graduated!) MIT Student Educators welcome...
06/25/2026

…and you’re watching TIMney Channel 🪄✨

Amy Fitzgerald and her team of (recently graduated!) MIT Student Educators welcome thousands of kids to Strobe Alley each year for hands-on STEM field trips. So what do they get up to on a rare day without visitors? They turn the lights down, break out the lightsabers, and have some fun. 📸⚔️

Creating long-exposure shots is part of “Edgerton Explorations,” a field trip that introduces students to the science and artistry of strobe photography. Painting with light, learning by doing, and embracing joy: Doc would be proud!

Lions and camels and beavers, oh my! 🦁🐪🦫The K-12 Maker Lab’s mission is simple: get more kids Making - and that starts w...
06/15/2026

Lions and camels and beavers, oh my! 🦁🐪🦫

The K-12 Maker Lab’s mission is simple: get more kids Making - and that starts with teachers building their own Maker skills to bring back to the classroom. Last week, the team had a blast partnering with the and to lead teacher workshops (like the “2D into 3D” session pictured here) and mentor educators through an all-day build challenge.

Want to explore geometric nets, interlocking shapes, and cardboard prototyping on your own? Find resources at k12maker.mit.edu/tutorials

📸 Photos by Marvelin Higginbottom

What a morning in Strobe Alley ❤️ We were delighted to welcome so many graduates, families, and friends to the Edgerton ...
05/28/2026

What a morning in Strobe Alley ❤️ We were delighted to welcome so many graduates, families, and friends to the Edgerton Graduation Brunch, sharing celebratory waffles and a special ceremony honoring the incredible accomplishments of our students. Congratulations to all of our graduates!

And a special congratulations to the legendary Ed Moriarty, celebrating his 50th MIT reunion this year (complete with the iconic red jacket). Of course we had to have Professor Vandiver present him with a certificate of his own 🎓✨

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