ANNUAL REPORT

MIT spouses&partners • 2013 Annual Report

MISSION

VISION

CONTRIBUTORS

STAFF

CONNECT WITH US

Editors & Writers:Adrielle StapletonJennifer Recklet TassiLing-chih KaoLucy Sonner

Photographers:Adeline MartiniYuval Dryer

We support the personal, social, and professional

growth of all spouses and partners of MIT community

members who relocate to the Boston area. We provide consultations, programs,

events, and other opportunities for our members to connect with and support each other.

We aspire to welcome every spouse and

partner to MIT before they arrive on campus

and to connect them with the resources

they need to thrive in a new community.

Jennifer Recklet Tassi, Senior Program ManagerAdrielle Stapleton, Program Assistant

2

Designer:Anu Vaarmann

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FACEBOOK PAGE

GIVING TO MITWe are supported in part by donations. Gift can be made to the MIT Fund for Family Support/MIT Spouses & Partners (3892662).

Street address:25 Carleton Street, E23-441Cambridge, MA 02142

Email: spousesandpartners@mit.edu

Website: http://spouses.mit.edu/

CONTACT US

WELCOMINGINTERNATIONALFAMILY-FRIENDLY

SUPPORTIVECOLLABORATIVE

VALUES

Dear Friends,

Someday we will look back and see 2013 as an important year in MIT spouses&partners’ history. We spent the past year exploring new partnerships and expanding our cornerstone programs. Developing new relationships and reaching out to serve more members was an enriching experience for all who care and support our program.

2013 brought us many new partners, including the MIT Alumni Association and local community insti-tutions like the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts and the YMCA International Learning Center. We collaborated with the Wiesner Student Art Gallery and the Council for the Arts at MIT to showcase the photography of one of our members, creating an opportunity to share the gifts of our group with a wider audience on campus.

Our orientation programs in 2013 were a great success. The newly established Orientation Com-mittee, led by our program assistant and a spouse volunteer, in partnership with the Graduate Student Council, organized two highly successful events. A family-friendly campus tour introduced newcomers to important offices and locations on campus, all while showing parents the tricks to navigating the MIT environment with a stroller. The Learning Fair brought together MIT organizations and local

institutions to showcase English language and other learning opportunities available to all members of the MIT community.

In 2013, we expanded Career Connect and served 200 members with 24 hours of job search trainings. We added a new session called “American cultural norms in the workplace” to give our participants the background and tools to successfully navigate a new work environment. We are excited that Career Connect has become one of the signature programs of MIT spouses&partners. Volunteers have always been essential to the success of MIT spouses&partners. We spent 2013 thinking hard about how we could make the best use of the incredible talents of our members by involving them further in the operations of our organization. Aside from the Orientation Committee, we ended the year with a highly dedicated team of volunteers working on communications, membership, resource develop-ment, and strategic planning. We also reexamined our mission, vision, and values, which I’m proud to share with you in the beginning of this annual report.

2014 will be a year of reflection and assessment. We will be asking ourselves how we can best use our resources to fulfill our mission and how we can work together to reach our vision. I can’t wait to see what we create together.

Jennifer's Message

2013 Annual Report • MIT spouses&partners 3

Senior Program Manager

MIT spouses&partnersMIT FamilyNetMIT Language Conversation Exchange

Jennifer Recklet Tassi

OUTREACH

MIT spouses&partners • 2013 Annual Report 4

Name: Mika KunifudaArrived at MIT: June 2013Background: FinanceCurrent projects: ESL for MIT spouses&partnersCountry of origin/languages: Japan/Japanese, English

ABOUT MIKA

Mika and her daughter Yui came to MIT in the summer of 2013. Although Mika felt safe and welcome when she arrived in Boston, she missed her social network and the energetic pace of her job, and was looking for meaningful projects and connections with new friends.

MEET MIKA

On Mika’s first day at a casual MIT spouses&partners afternoon meet-up, she made a friend and they started getting together regularly for lunch. Through the MIT Language Conversation Exchange, she found MIT undergraduate and graduate students who were studying Japanese, and soon they were helping each other practice their language skills every week. Mika began coordinating and attending an ESL class for fellow spouses and partners, and volunteering as a Wednesday meeting host to welcome even fresher faces to MIT s&p. Mika didn’t stay a newcomer for long!

Now Mika and the friend she met at that first s&p event are excited that they are both expecting babies around the same time. In the coming year, Mika tells us she is looking forward to days full of classes and spending time with her family and friends, and she added, “these things are making my life in the U.S. fulfilling.”

FINDING RESOURCES ANDMAKING CONNECTIONS AT MIT

Spouses and partners arrive at MIT every week all year long—that’s why we have weekly Newcomers Office Hours and events throughout the year. Volunteers and staff worked together to organize around 172 events and meetings in 2013 that were free and open to any MIT spouse or partner. During the August Orientation season, we also created welcome events like a Stroller Tour of campus and a picnic, an ESL and Con-tinuing Education Fair, and a panel discussion led by seasoned MIT s&p members, who shared their experiences and advice. We want to keep growing our outreach so that eventually every new arrival will hear about us quickly and have the opportunity to connect right away.

MIT spouses&partners

is my ownconnection with

MIT.

”“

172172Number of MIT s&p events in 2013

Meeting new friends at the first Wednesday meeting of the fall

Number of members connected to our group in 2013700700

APPROX

COLLABORATIONMEET COURTNEY

Courtney is an MIT spouses&partners volunteer who coordinates the twice-yearly MIT Kids Clothing Exchange (KCE), collaborating with MIT’s monthly Choose to Reuse event to provide gently used clothing, baby items, kids toys, and books to MIT families at no cost. KCE offers MIT families the opportunity to supplement their children’s wardrobes, nurseries, and/or play spaces. A crew of MIT s&p volun-teers arrives early each time to sort the donations. These volunteers make it possible for newer MIT families to be supported by the com-munity, and for more established MIT families to give back to the community. In the fall of 2013 over 80 MIT families came away from the event with free items for the children in their lives. KCE continues to expand due to the generosity of MIT families and s&p volunteers, while providing a wonderful service for the community.

Name: Courtney MasseyArrived at MIT: August 2013Background: U.S. Department of StateCurrent projects: Local Moms clubs/groupsCountry of origin/languages: Unites States/English

ABOUT COURTNEY

Courtney relocated from Virginia to MIT with her family in August of 2013. Courtney is a stay-at-home mom and active in several local Moms clubs/groups for small children. Before having children, Courtney worked for the U.S. Department of State.

“”

It gives me an oppor-tunity to help other

families and — a major plus — I can bring my kids with me, so they also get exposed to

volunteering!

1616Number of collaborative events in 20131313

Number of collaborative partners

5

COLLABORATION IS AN ESSENTIAL FEATURE OF HOW MIT S&P WORKS

Collaboration enables MIT spouses&partners to provide a more extensive range of activities, while also integrating members into the wider commu-nity. In 2013, we held joint events with over fifteen organizations, ranging from other MIT and Harvard groups, such as the MIT Graduate Student Coun-cil, MIT Women’s League, and Harvard Students’ Spouses and Partners Association, to educational and nonprofit organizations, such as Boston Life, YMCA International Learning Center, andCambridge Center for Adult Education. These collaborations allow us to share expertise and resources, develop programs and services more effectively, and make new connections. One of the main goals of many MIT s&p members is to learn English; to address this need, MIT s&p held an English as a Second Language (ESL) fair at the beginning of the academic year, in collaboration with Boston Life, YMCA, Cambridge School of Culinary Arts, and Cambridge Center for Adult Education.

Busy day at MIT Kids Clothing Exchange

2013 Annual Report • MIT spouses&partners

SKILL BUILDING

MIT spouses&partners • 2013 Annual Report 6

“

”

Maybe you get a friend, maybe you get a job!

Number ofCareerConnecttraining hours

Number ofCareerConnectattendees2424 202202

MEET MARIE

Marie was a freelance translator and writer for online magazines before she moved to Boston. Marie attended seven MIT spouses&partners Career Connect workshops to learn about American work culture and job-searching techniques. Marie explained that job-searching techniques are not so different from those used in her home country, France; however, networking is more developed in the US, and the work culture is very different.

“Learning how to build an American résumé and the importance of networking has been particularly crucial to me,” Marie elaborated. “The trainers also talked about the importance of finding a mentor to share information on how to reach your desired career goal.”

Marie actually met her mentor, a professor in French literature, at a bus stop! They chatted, made an immediate connection, and had coffee together. Thanks to this, Marie landed a lecturer position at the university where the professor worked, and is excited about exploring different opportunities.

“Networking sounds scary, but I think it means first of all, not being afraid of talking to people.” Marie said. “You never know, maybe you get a friend, maybe you get a job!”

Name: Marie GiudicelliArrived at MIT: September 2012Background: Italian literature and culture Current projects: Freelance translator and journalistCountry of origin/languages: France/French, Italian, English

ABOUT MARIE

Marie arrived in Boston in September 2012 with her husband, a post-doc at MIT. She is from France and has lived in Paris, Italy, and Amsterdam. She likes to read, write, photograph, watch movies, and hike, when it’s not too cold outside!

Career consultation with program manager, Jennifer Recklet Tassi

SKILL-BUILDING PROGRAM

Career Connect is a skill-building workshop series launched in 2011, aimed at MIT spouses and partners who are new to the US job market. We invite career counselors and experts in human resources to speak on a range of topics, including American culture, cover letters, résumés, interviews, and networking. We expanded the program in 2013, offering five to seven workshops and a mock interview opportunity per semester, and secured a larger conference room to welcome more newcomers. Our partici-pants have diverse career goals and back-grounds, and the workshops enable them to share experiences and build connections as they adapt to their new lives in Boston.

VOLUNTEERINGMEET JACKIE

Jackie attended Jennifer’s Newcomer Office Hour soon after arriving in Boston. Since her visa does not allow her to work in the US, Jackie explored other options to gain a meaningful experience during her time in Boston.

“I met with Jennifer and talked about what I wanted to do and my profes-sional background, and she offered me a volunteer opportunity to develop a database for MIT spouses&partners—that was just the beginning!” said Jackie, a computer engineer. “Volunteering with MIT s&p has been a great way to keep my skills updated and add experience to my résumé.”

Jackie also started volunteering for various events, and became part of the 2013 Orientation Committee, planning events and information sessions. Now Jackie is co-chair of the Membership Committee, welcoming and orienting new MIT spouses.

“Volunteering fills my life with quality time. I get to know new people and cultures every day. I learn how to be a team player and gain experience,” she said. “I feel I have a community that supports me, and a lot of friends; I enjoy my time.”

Jackie advises every newly arrived MIT spouse or partner: “Go out, try new things, enjoy life, and all the new experiences.”“

”

Volunteering fills my life with quality

time.

MIT s&p 2013 Orientation Committee volunteers

Number of volunteers6161

Number of volunteerhourscontributed15021502

Name: Jackie PhelesteenArrived at MIT: October 2012Background: Computer engineering, database developmentCurrent projects: Co-chair of the Membership CommitteeCountry of origin/languages: Egypt/Arabic, English, French

ABOUT JACKIE

Jackie moved to Boston in October 2012 with her husband, a PhD student at MIT. It was her first time leaving Egypt, her home country. Jackie is involved in a number of activities and volunteering projects on campus, and enjoys cooking, knitting, planning events, and making friends.

VOLUNTEER PROGRAM

Volunteers are at the heart of the MIT spouses&partners program. Each year, our volunteers generously offer their time and talents to serve as event planners, interest group leaders, Wednesday meeting hosts, and workshop speakers. They support both each other and other new-comers. Together, they make around 180 events a year possible. We deepened volunteer engagement in 2013, by creating an Orientation Committee and an Executive Committee. Volunteers serving on these committees enjoy assisting with program leadership in diverse areas, such as communications, membership, resource development, and strategic planning.

72013 Annual Report • MIT spouses&partners

FINANCIAL SUMMARY

MIT spouses&partners • 2013 Annual Report 8

“”Emily Fay

Giving is a small way to say thank you

for all MIT spouses and partners has

done for me.

Summary of volunteer hours

Number of volunteers

1502

61

$10,290.00 — TOTAL EXPENSES

7% — MEMBER DONATIONS

15% — EDUCATIONAL SPONSORS

78% — MIT MEDICAL PROGRAM BUDGET

$10,290.00 — TOTAL REVENUE

REVENUE

EXPENSES

JAN – DEC 2013

0,5% — RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (cost of making cookbook)

2.5% — VOLUNTEER SUPPORT (training and appreciation)

13% — OUTREACH (basically orientation + website and printing costs)

25% — GROUP AND EVENT SUPPLIES (food and paper goods, craft materials for Wed. meetings, fees for guides/instructors, etc)

36% — FEES (room reservations, childcare, etc)

23% — ALLOCATED FOR SPRING 2014 PROGRAMMING

Adam Kelly

Adeline Martini

Ankita Kumari

Annemirl Eral

Azilah Baker

Christelle Perrin

Daniela Ruf

Emily Fay

Emma Kronick

Hui Ying Hoh

Lauren Mayhew

Leonard P. Guarente Jr., Dr. and Ms.

Ling-Chih Kao

Lucy Sonner

Maryanne Kirkbride

Roberta Pizzinato

Sandra S. Boynton

Severin Hatt and Agathe Seydoux Hatt

Shruti Garg

Anonymous

Anonymous

DONORS EDUCATIONAL PARTNERS

CAMPUSAND LOCALCOLLABORATORS

VOLUNTEERS

Kathleen Sullivan

Konstantina Ntountoumi

Limor Shvartz

Ling-Chih Kao

Loni Butera

Lucy Sonner

Luz Maria Villanueva Gomez Crespo

Lynette Yen

Manali Yadav

Mansi Jindal

Meitel Mendel

Mika Kunifuda

Moina Luther

Nari Kim

Nina Czeko

Nora Vrubļevska

Pegah Khalili

Rashi Gupta

Rosanna Ortiz

Sangeeta Gandhi

Sara Pixton

Sarah-Grace Dady

Simonida Cekovic-Vuletic

Sonali Mahakud

Stephanie Fuller

Sunita Sharma

Talia Ambar

Tomoe Wirsch

Vanessa Sevilhano

Yuval Dryer

Yvonne Brockhaus

Adeline Martini

Alejandra Goldin

Alexandra Krawiec

Amy Rul

Angela Mazzonetto

Ankita Kumari

Anne Thielke

Annemirl Leus

Barbara Ian Duncan

Bronwen Heuer

Carly Inkpen

Celie O'Brien

Chrisnel Sanchez

Christelle Perrin

Courtney Massey

Elisabetta Pili

Emily Fay

Erika Sanhueza Pinto

Francia Reyes

Garima Saxena

Gioia Gregori

Heather Wadsworth

Hilal Uygun

Isa Uranga

Jackie Phelesteen

Janice St Clair

Jessy Saad

Jimena Castro

Julie Fahnestock

Jussara de Marchi

Boston Life

Cambridge Center for Adult Education

The Cambridge School of Culinary Arts

YMCA International Learning Center

Community Wellness at MIT Medical

Council for the Arts at MITwith the Wiesner Art Gallery

HSSPA – Harvard Students' Spouses and Partners Association

MIT Activities Committee

MIT Baptist Campus Ministry Free English Classes

MIT Federal Credit Union

MIT Global Education and Career Development

MIT Graduate Student Council –Orientation Committee

MIT International Scholars Office

MIT Reuse

MIT Work-Life Center

MIT Women’s League

“”

I didn't [report] the hours because I didn't consider volunteering to be work.... I enjoy it

so much!!!!

Isa Uranga

MIT spouses&partners is a program of