Project

ML Learning Fellows Program

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Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

ML Learning Initiative

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The ML Learning Initiative is built around a cohort of Learning Fellows from across the diverse research groups of the Media Lab.

Meet our current cohort of 2018-19 Learning Fellows [link]

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The ML Learning Fellows Program began in 2016. Since then, the ML Learning Initiative team has supported three cohorts of Learning Fellows, building a community of graduate student researchers at the Media Lab who are developing new technologies to cultivate creative learning in a variety of contexts. In addition to funding, the ML Learning Initiative team provides the students with additional mentorship, connections, and support for their research.

Our Learning Fellows are supported in two ways, through the LEGO Papert Fellowship and the Learning Innovation Fellowship. 

  • LEGO Papert Fellowship: The LEGO Foundation, a long-time member of the Media Lab, has endowed this fellowship program to honor the legacy of educational-technology pioneer Seymour Papert, a founding Media Lab faculty member. Each year, the LEGO Papert Fellowship will fund the work of three graduate students who are working at the intersection of creativity, play, learning, and new technologies.
  • Learning Innovation Fellowship: With a focus on creative learning environments and tools, early-childhood learning, life success skills, other learning mindsets, and adult learning, the Learning Innovation Fellowship supports  research that brings opportunities for creative learning to more people. 
2018-19 Learning Fellows 2017-18 Learning Fellows 2016-17 Learning Fellows

ML Learning Initiative Collaborators

We would like to thank the following organizations for their ongoing support and collaboration.

LEGO Foundation — The LEGO Foundation aims to build a future where learning through play empowers children to become creative, engaged, and lifelong learners. The foundation’s work is about challenging the status quo by redefining play and reimagining learning. The foundation’s focus is on children aged 0–12, with a special emphasis on early childhood, where children develop most rapidly both physically and mentally.

Joyce Foundation — The Joyce Foundation works with grantee partners to develop and advance policy reforms that promise to improve quality of life, promote community vitality, and strive for a fair society. Its grant-making is driven by a belief that communities are stronger when they share benefits broadly among their people.

New Profit — New Profit is a national nonprofit venture philanthropy fund. Its mission is to break down the barriers that stand between people and opportunity in the United States. New Profit works with visionary entrepreneurs, philanthropists, and other partners to upend the status quo and transform the way the US educates its children, propels people towards social and financial stability, and creates healthy communities.

Siegel Family Endowment — Siegel Family Endowment (SFE) seeks to help, understand, and shape learning in order to prepare the world for rapid digital transformation. SFE collaborates with partners who use technology to create meaningful, research-based learning experiences.

Bezos Family Foundation — The Bezos Family Foundation supports rigorous, inspired learning environments for young people, from birth through high school, to put their education into action. Through investments in research, public awareness, and programs, the foundation works to elevate the field of education and improve life outcomes for all children.

Research Topics
#learning + teaching