Spring 2026 Registration Deadline: MAS.S70 Community-Driven Innovation
Friday, February 6, 2026 is the registration deadline. View all MIT registrar deadlines here.
Consider joining us for MAS.S70 Community-Driven Innovation!
MAS.S70 Community-Driven Innovation
Tuesdays 2 – 5 pm | E15-466
Instructors: Ila Krishna Kumar, Vippy Yee, Alison Hynd, Raechel Walker
How do you co-create new technologies, programs, and policies with communities who are historically excluded from decision-making processes? What does it look like to iteratively shape a project around the needs of your community partners? How do you creatively accomplish research goals in the process of creating outputs that communities actually find valuable? This half-semester course is designed to support students who are interested in or actively engaged in community-driven innovation projects. Through critical examination of participatory design frameworks, case studies, and conversations with practitioners, the course will demystify the process of co-creating with community partners. Students will also be guided through reflective and future-thinking exercises to help them clarify their positionality, scope of work, and next steps. For students who are just beginning to engage community partners, this course will help them build a roadmap for their project and provide them with a toolkit for their work. For students who are already working closely with community groups, the course will provide space to reflect and think critically and expansively about the future. The course will intentionally create space for community building and peer-sharing to create a community of practice that all students can turn to for support, guidance, and inspiration even after the course ends.
The course is primarily targeted toward graduate students, but interested undergraduate students may also apply.
If interested, please complete the pre-registration form or reach out to ilak@media.mit.edu or pkgcenter@mit.edu with any questions.
