During the MIT Forensic Science case, everyone got to become workers in criminology and learn more about MIT and its 'hacks.' We were able to use our critical thinking here by blood typing, checking their fingerprints and the markers they had, and learning to tell the difference between fiber and hair under a microscope. Then we put all the collected data on a big chart and identified our suspect(s). All in all, the forensic science at MIT seemed to encourage many kids to continue to think critically even after the lab was over and to ask more questions and put prior knowledge to use to build a bigger picture and understand more.

When we went to the FrED factory, we worked in small groups on cutting pieces of paper and testing their accuracy, and then we worked on manufacturing our own fans. These fans were made of 3D-printed parts by the MIT manufacturing lab and required many precise steps to complete. To ensure that every fan was created well, we decided as a group to split up into different sections so that we could create an assembly line, which allowed us to complete all the fans in just 30 minutes.

When we met our JTS groups, we needed compassion to make sure we really got to know these new people while seeing so many familiar faces too. It took a bit to adjust, but overall, we got to form a new community of peers who love learning just as much as we did and got to see the role that our JTS had taken during the 2025 program. We got to grow and bond as a bigger group, share new and old experiences, and explore more of our interests with the people in our JTS groups.

During Matthew's JTS workshop, we had to lead our juniors to complete a challenge: to create the tallest tower using spaghetti and marshmallows. This workshop was on the hottest day of camp, so after about 20 minutes, the marshmallows began to melt. This caused many of the structures to fall down and for people to have to start again, but we stayed committed to the goal of having the tallest and most stable tower.