What is NuVu?

NuVu is a full-time magnet innovation center for middle and high school students and a professional development program for teachers and educators. NuVu’s pedagogy is based on the architectural studio model and geared around multi-disciplinary, collaborative projects. Established in the Fall of 2010 in Cambridge, MA, NuVu provides students the opportunity to work collaboratively with experts, PhDs and alumni from MIT and Harvard as well as working professionals, to solve real-world problems in an intensive and fun studio environment. For teachers and educators, NuVu provides training on how to bring innovative practices to students’ learning using project-based methods. NuVu nurtures creative problem solving, team collaboration across networks, communication and presentation skills, systems thinking, adaptability, risk-taking and imagination, all critical for student success.

What is the
Studio Model?

NuVu Studio’s pedagogy is informed by the architectural design studio where a coach guides students in hands-on problem-solving to solve complex, comprehensive problems. The studio uses exercises to build skills and integrates students’ knowledge in a final project. A studio coach mentors students to develop their project through an iterative process over the course of the studio. Students confront the small and large contexts within problems as they are exposed to complex, ‘messy’ situations.

This multidisciplinary studio environment allows students to explore problems rigorously by focusing on one project for 2-weeks. The NuVu team continuously evaluates students through deskcrits and final reviews.

Our goal is for students to explore and learn mindfully in hopes of fostering a more creative generation, better prepared to solve today’s complex problems.

What happens
in the studio?

Students register for a specific studio such as “Balloon Mapping”, “Music and the City”, or “Future of Global Warming” of which there will be approximately 10 students, one Coach and an Assistant Coach. The Coach begins by providing a general overview of a problem to the students, an ambiguous real-world issue with an open-ended problem. With the Coach’s help each student frames the problem from his/her perspective and enters into an iterative development process supported by the studio team of students and advisors.

Students are provided with access to outside resources – leading thinkers and experts – to whom they present their framework and receive feedback. Students document their process and progress, continually reviewing it with the Coach. They set parameters, synthesize, and continue refining, refining, refining. NuVu trains students to apply multiple perspectives to challenge and refine ideas over and over again until it becomes a natural learning process.

NuVu is housed near the MIT campus and provides access to many MIT resources and experts. NuVu connects students to exciting research projects at MIT and Harvard and to PhD students who are passionate learners and teachers.

How is NuVu
structured?

NuVu’s structure is based on 2-week long studios that take on topics related to the set theme for the trimester, such as “City of the Future” or “Science Fiction.” These intensive studios begin by identifying an issue or point of inspiration, defining the problem, and then engaging in an iterative process toward a solution.

Studio

Each studio runs for 2 weeks, culminating in a final review where external reviewers (professors, practitioners, entrepreneurs and designers) are invited to evaluate students’ work. During the studio period, students and coaches work together at NuVu from 9am to 3pm with the option to stay until 5pm (which happens frequently, especially before the final review).

Trimester

Each Trimester runs for 11 weeks. Each trimester contains 8 or 12 studios with a range of topics that fall under one broad theme (Future Cities, Science Fiction, Storytelling, etc.). Each student enrolls in a sequence of 4 studios. The trimester culminates in a final public exhibit where students showcase their projects from the term.

Year

One year at NuVu runs 3 trimesters. Enrollment for the entire year gives students an opportunity to explore multiple creative ideas, learn about diverse fields, develop a particular project or idea in-depth over a sequence of studios, and have a rich and diverse portfolio of projects.

Who can join?

NuVu is open to all youth between 14 and 18-years old. We have an open admission policy because we believe in the creative capacity of every learner. We encourage and welcome students from different backgrounds and ages to increase the diversity of perspectives. Our students come from charter, private, and public schools as well as the homeschooling community. Students may join NuVu per trimester or per year.