BAMIT Community Advancement Program and Fund (BCAP)
Welcome and thank you for your interest in learning more about BCAP! IAP 2025 applications are now closed. Applications for Summer 2025 will open in February 2025. You can visit this link to apply or learn more about application requirments: https://tinyurl.com/BCAPAPPLY.
What is BCAP?
Every day, we see the need for innovative solutions to complex problems in our communities, especially in communities of color. We need the power of community.
The BAMIT Community Advancement Program and Fund (BCAP) was created in conjunction with BAMIT’s 2018 Capstone Weekend in honor of the 50th Anniversary of the MIT Black Student Union (BSU). Recognized with a 2019 Great Dome Award by the MIT Alumni Association, the Capstone was the largest gathering of Black alumni in MIT’s history, demonstrating to one and all the event theme: The Power of Community.
The BCAP supports student proposals for public-service projects that:
- recognize the needs of underserved communities of color
- leverage the creative talents and innovative ideas of MIT students, and
- marry these needs and ideas with the wealth of knowledge and experience that alumni have to share.
- admitted and currently matriculated MIT degree seeking undergraduate and graduate students
Each applicant will meet with a BCAP OME staff member to discuss the proposed project and budget. Number of projects accepted is based on funding availability. Funding cannot be used to pay salary or travel/lodging. This unique model creates opportunities for students and alumni to use their various and vast talents to make a difference locally and globally. The program and MIT fund are administered by the Office of Minority Education (OME).
Our goal is to create a space where MIT students and alumni can address the challenges faced by underserved communities of color in the US and around the globe.
We are excited about the impactful programs that we have been able to fund and there is a high demand to support more students.
The MIT BCAP fund is endowed, initially by Capstone proceeds, and now by generous contributions from your efforts and those of so many others. Your gift will benefit students for years to come and will allow us to fund an ever increasing amount of students. We could not do what we do without your dedicated support. MIT is a 501(c)(3) institution, and your gift to the MIT BCAP fund is tax-deductible within the limitations of U.S. federal income tax laws. In addition, alumni receive MIT Giving credit.
Thank you for your continued support!
Be the change you wish to see!
For Alumni:
Please contact bcap [at] mit.edu if interested in becoming an advisor. Advisors should proactively reach out and connect with their fellow, at minimum:
- IAP (January) projects: once per week
- Summer projects: once every 2 weeks
For Student Applicants:
Here is the link to apply to Summer/IAP BCAP projects: https://tinyurl.com/BCAPAPPLY.
Questions?
Email bcap [at] mit.edu (bcap[at]mit[dot]edu).
BCAP Featured Projects!
BCAP Summer 2024 Featured Project!
GhanaCodes is a 3-week summer program organized by Kwesi and a few other Ghanaian college seniors, aiming to introduce high school students to the basics of programming and algorithm design and analysis, taking inspiration from similar programs like AddisCoder (in Ethiopia) and JamCoder (in Jamaica). These initiatives have achieved remarkable success within their specific regions, with graduates advancing to pursue Computer Science at renowned universities both in their home countries and abroad. Alumni of the programs have successfully secured positions at prestigious companies such as Google and Facebook, and some have even earned advanced degrees in Computer Science.
BCAP Summer 2024 Fellow: Kwesi Afrifa
BCAP IAP 2024 Featured Project!
Led by BCAP Fellow, Victory Yinka-Banjo, this project recognizes the immense potential that resides in young minds, regardless of their financial circumstances. Thus, they have been running free programs that cater to teenagers who, while financially disadvantaged, possess a remarkable passion for technology. This bootcamp was designed to be a transformative multi-week-long intensive training, targeting current and post-high-school students with a foundation in physics and mathematics and a keen interest in robotics, AI, and/or science. The objectives of this training program were multifaceted, aiming to: ignite interest in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence among students; develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork skills; promote creativity and innovation; and encourage the application of STEM knowledge to real-world challenges. Furthermore, students had the chance to network with like-minded peers and mentors, broadening their social and professional connections, which can be invaluable for their future endeavors.
BCAP IAP 2024 Fellow: Victory Yinka-Banjo
Students that competed in a project competition.
BCAP Summer 2023 Featured Project!
Project Manus will be the first open makerspace in Haiti. Through this project, the Hector Foundation hopes to promote peace by democratizing access to tools of scientific invention and innovation in Haitian high schools. We want to lay the foundations of hands-on science in the Haitian educational curriculum. Every year, we hope to train about 1800 students on maneuvering world-class engineering equipment. Project Manus’ contribution to peace will be twofold. First, it will inspire young people to engage with technology and therefore make alternatives such as violence and crime less attractive. Second, it will encourage collaboration and democratize access to the means of creation so as to strengthen the social fabric of the country.
BCAP Summer 2023 Fellow: Wilhem Hector
BCAP IAP 2023 Featured Project!
During IAP 2023, Nadine Zaza partnered with the Arab American National Museum (AANM) in Dearborn Michigan to develop an interactive and intentionally built curriculum through the venture; Identity Crates. Each crate has a theme based on a cultural activity that is deeply in need of cultural preservation and identity building in the diaspora. Bilingual language cards and empathy-driven context aid to formalize and activate the learning of these activities for both new immigrants and young Arab Americans. The goal of these crates is to work with AANM to help their Arab community engage with the museum, celebrate and highlight the culture of so many young Arabs in America that are often times misrepresented and overlooked in their traditional schooling.
BCAP IAP Fellow 2023: Nadine Zaza
BCAP Summer 2022 Featured Project!
Carlos Mercado-Lara's Summer 2022 BCAP project was to reinforce the selected teaching curriculums for 10th and 11th grade teachers in Honduras: Physics; Biology; Anatomy and Chemistry. Carlos's plan was incorporating a mix of low-cost reusable materials as well as scientific equipment to revitalize the curricula with hands-on experiments that can be done in a group setting of maximum four students per group.
Carlos was able to further measure the impact through student and teacher surveys, interviews, and general observations that were made during the class session. Below are the general findings:
- 100% of students found the procedures clear to understand.
- 100% of teachers found the procedures clear to execute.
- 88% of students prefer the activities in group settings.
- 100% of teachers stated that they intend to use these curriculums and derive more lesson plans from them.
- 90% of the groups were able to successfully finish the activities in the time given in class.
- More than 90% of students reported in their written survey that they enjoyed the activity and were excited to have hands-on activity in their class.
Carlos states, "I would like to give special thanks to the OME office and the BCAP fellowship for allowing one of my goals to become realized and I hope my project can inspire underclassmen and alumni to pursue social impact projects."
BCAP Summer 2022 Fellow: Carlos Mercado-Lara
BCAP Team!
Watch the BCAP Inaugural Year Family Weekend Celebration webinar!
BCAP Program Administrator
Diep Luu, Interim OME Associate Dean and Director
Gregory Jain, OME Assistant Dean
The BCAP Project Team
Al Tervalon '65, BCAP Project Team Chair
Marie Harton '10, BCAP Fundraising Chair
Cordelia Price '78, SM '82, BCAP Operations Chair
Elaine Harris '78; Michelle Harton SM '83, BCAP Marketing Co-Chairs;
Walt Gibbons '73 & SM '75; Jeffrey T. Anderson '91; Lawrence Bass '75, SM '78; Darryl Fraser '80; Eric McKissack '75; Olumuyiwa Oni '04; Nelly Rosario '94; Emerson Yearwood '80
