This page contains information about opportunities to engage in science-related mentoring and outreach opportunities within our department, on campus, in the local area, and in the broader physics community. The opportunities are grouped based on whether they are primarily geared towards students, towards faculty, or can be engaged in by everyone. 

Primarily geared towards students

Mentoring and outreach within the physics program

• First-year buddy program for graduate students
  • First year matched with senior grad student
  • You will receive an email about this in early August
• Physics Department Tutors and TA's
  • The physics department hires part-time Tutors, TA's, and Graders for a variety of undergraduate classes. Hiring emails are sent out at the beginning of each semesters.
• Physics Department mentors for 8.01*, 8.02*, 8.03, 8.033, and 8.04
  • Look for emails!
• GWIP-UWIP mentoring program
  • Female/non-binary graduate students paired with undergraduates. Request for mentors sent by email to GWIP mailing list in August.
• Physics Directed Reading Program
  • Pairs undergraduate and graduate students together to learn a topic of mutual interest
  • Runs during IAP

Mentoring and outreach within MIT

• Become a TSR^2 Facilitator
  • Undergraduate and graduate students can serve as tutors, particularly for first-year undergraduate requirements
• Laureates and Leaders Graduate Student Mentoring Initiative
  • ​Informal graduate student mentors to undergraduate students in the Laureates and Leaders Program, who are aspiring to a PhD in STEM; answer questions about your field and the graduate application process
• Graduate Women at MIT Mentoring Program
• MIT GradDiversity Initiatives
  • Graduate Diversity Ambassadors
  • MSRP Pod Leaders 
• Undergraduate Association Community Service committee

Outreach to the broader community

• Education Studies Program (ESP)
  • ​A number of outreach and teaching initiatives that students can get involved in such as MIT Splash, MIT Spark, Firehose, and others
• Math Prize for Girls
  • ​Annual high school girls math tournament hosted at MIT; opportunities to volunteer in various aspects of the program
• MIT Science Olympiad tournament
  • ​Undergraduate-run high school science contest at MIT
• Harvard-MIT Mathematics tournament
  • ​Undergraduate-run high school math contest at MIT
• MIT Astrogazers

Primarily geared towards faculty

• MIT Summer Research Program - program for talented underrepresented and underserved students to spend a summer working in MIT research groups
  • The Physics Department also engages an MSRP Application Review Committee; be on the lookout for emails. 
• APS National Mentoring Community - APS program that matches faculty member mentors with local Native American, Hispanic, and African-American undergraduate students pursuing physics degrees

Open to everyone

Physics focused

• Astronomy on Tap
• Center for Ultracold Atoms outreach initiatives

Broader lists of community outreach opportunities

• School of Science
• Office of Engineering
• MIT Outreach Directory
• MIT Museum volunteering
• MIT Alumni Association volunteering
• Priscilla King Gray Public Service Center (PKG Center)
• MIT Engage