State Dept Image/Mar 26, 2014/Boston, Massachusetts

March 26-27, 2014; Boston, Massachusetts
Contact: Alyson Grunder, Managing Director, New York Foreign Press Center; Media Relations Officer, New York Foreign Press Center, Ariel Howard.
Telephone: Alyson Grunder: 646-282-2837, email: grunderal2@state.gov; Ariel Howard: 646-282-2832, howardan2@state.gov

Foreign correspondents gained insights into key trends in U.S. higher education during a March 26-27 reporting tour to Boston, Massachusetts organized by the New York Foreign Press Center. The group visited Harvard University, Olin College, MIT, and Bunker Hill Community College, and met with the Massachusetts Commissioner of Higher Education. The group also visited “Year-Up Boston,” a program commended by the White House that aims to close the “opportunity divide” low-income students face in access to education and the job market. Highlights included a tour of Harvard’s Innovation Lab, where journalists met with student entrepreneurs who are growing ventures in various stages of development. At a briefing from Harvard’s Dean of Admissions, journalists learned about the admittance criteria for the incoming Harvard class, while at MIT, they heard about the growing role of online education and the impact of MOOCs (massive online open courses). Olin College showcased new approaches to STEM education that are revolutionizing the engineering professions. At Bunker Hill, the journalists met with officials and students from the school’s international center and learned about the gateway that two-year community colleges offer to foreign students seeking U.S. educational opportunities.