November 2009 Newsletter
First General Body Meeting
After our first General Body Meeting, things are moving quickly in the LTI community. In less than one semester, we have managed to successfully train 9 new mentors, create a curriculum for the spring semester, and organize trips to Brazil and China. Furthermore, the LTI community was recently featured in the Komaza International Development Magazine for the LTI's summer collaboration with CDI's Service Leadership Program this past summer to China.
New Frontiers in Student Recruitment
Applications have been received and are being processed. Accepted students will be notified in the upcoming weeks. For the first time, LTI Student Recruitment focused on recruiting from Math and Science teachers in the Cambridge and Boston areas and from known MIT programs for high school students, such as SEED and SPLASH. LTI recently held its first ever one-day sessions at MIT's Splash program and SEED Leadership program.
LTI Expansion
The expansion IAP trip to Brazil is almost finalized. Additional funding options through MIT MISTI Brazil, alumni donations, and corporations are currently being explored. Due to funding restrictions for the IAP trip to China, the Shanghai program will be postponed until Summer 2010. Congratulations to our international LTI mentors!
China: Tina, Kenny, Iggy, Sheila, David
Brazil: Amanda, Susan, Kyle, Michaela
The LTI Community
This year the LTI staff will be placing an extra effort on building a stronger community by implementing a new program. In addition to the monthly GBMs, the biannual retreats, and planned weekly lunches, LTI has decided to start a new program called "Oaks and saplings." This new program will be used to help different staff members of the LTI community get to know one another better in a way similar to the "Bigs and Little" program. This family bonding program gives LTI staff members the opportunity to interact and get to know each other outside of the "LTI setting."