MIT Open Courseware for High School Students

North American schools are failing to provide society with the number and type of engineers, scientists, and computer scientists that society needs, to move forward. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Open Courseware program has made course materials from MIT widely available without charge via the internet. MIT now offers a special program for high school students called Highlights for High School, which provides precocious high school students with advanced science and engineering coursework. Exposing young students to introductory college level courses in science, engineering, and computer science will open their minds to the possibilities of careers in those fields.

If you are a high school science, math, or computer studies teacher, you may want to visit the MIT OCW site to refresh your own knowledge before attempting to help guide your students through the fascinating world the MIT programs will open for them.

There is much available at MIT OCW for those who are beyond high school, but considering going into the fields of science, engineering, or computer science. If you have been out of school for a while, start with the introductory courses then go on from there. You, too, can obtain an MIT education, from the safe and convenient location of your choice.

MIT was a frontrunner in the movement of placing university course materials on the web, but other universities are beginning to follow. Comptetition should soon make your choices far more numerous. MIT offers knowledge, for free. Other universities may offer knowledge for a fee, but will also grant university credit via extension programs.

If knowledge is power, then this trend represents power to the people. It is time for people to start looking at the ways they spend their free time and mental attention the same way they spend their meal and snack times. They can eat junk food or they can eat nutritious food that will keep them healthy and living longer. Similarly, they can feed their minds junk food, or they can feed their minds stimulating and challenging concepts that will keep their minds active and working clearly much longer.