Volunteer for the Lawrence@MIT Program
Dates: Feb 27, April 3, and May 1, 2009
Group Leader: Meet students in the morning and take them to and from their various workshops on campus. Also, share your MIT experience with them over lunch.
Workshop Presenter: Share your expertise with students by leading a workshop during the field trip day.
If interested in volunteering with the Lawrence@MIT project, email Gayle.
Individual Development Account Program Evaluation: Comparative Study (Spring/Summer 2009)
- Client: Lawrence CommunityWorks
- Timing: IAP, Spring 2009, or Summer 2009
- Scope: Flexible, depending on interested student’s academic focus and time commitment; could range from a full MArch, MS-RED or MCP Thesis to a for-credit Independent Study Project (for an individual or group) or DUSP internship.
Lawrence CommunityWorks (LCW) is a nonprofit community development corporation working with over 3,500 resident and stakeholder members to transform the physical, economic, civic, and social landscape of Lawrence, a former mill City with a large immigrant and Latino population. We create a growing network of Lawrencians engaged in building family and community assets, providing each other with mutual support, and taking collective action to advance the revitalization of the City. Activities range from community organizing, to real estate development, to educational programs for youth and families.
For the past seven years, LCW has operated a successful Individual Development Account program providing matched savings, financial literacy training, and peer support to Lawrence residents pursuing homeownership, higher education, and small business development (see ida-fact-sheet). We are currently interested in finding out just how successful that program is in comparison with other IDA programs across the state and the nation.
We are seeking a Research Assistant to gather data from Lawrence CommunityWorks, the MIDAS Collaborative, the Corporation for Enterprise Development, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and other sources, including specific other IDA programs. The RA would then perform a comparative analysis based on six or seven+ major indicators, including:
- Graduation Rates
- Percent of grads successfully purchasing assets
- Value of assets leveraged
- Asset retention rates
- Improvements in Credit Scores
- Increased / Continued Savings
- Improvements in Self-esteem
We would like the research to focus on broadly similar populations (urban, immigrant, women) across a variety of program designs (high-touch, low-touch, etc.).
Please contact Jessica Andors, 978.722.2604, with questions.
Create Your Own Project
MIT@Lawrence encourages students and student groups to create their own project. Projects should roughly fit into one of the three main MIT@Lawrence focus areas of affordable housing, asset-building, and youth development. Further, projects should have a clear beginning and end, focusing on developing capacity in Lawrence. Funding for project materials and transportation costs is available through the MIT@Lawrence Public Service Center. You should contact Alison Hynd at hynd@MIT.EDU for help developing your project.
