MIT community-building
Graduate Families Newsletter
This monthly newsletter comes to graduate student families with children. It is a place to build community, share resources, and keep you up to date on MIT family-specific policies and programs as well as events happening in the wider community.
GradFamilies events
The events hosted for MIT student parents vary from year to year, but here are some of our past offerings:
- MIT Families welcome event (orientation event to kick off the academic year!)
- Student parent coffee hour
- Finals week lunch & aromatherapy activity
- GradFamilies spring fling (part of Grad Student Appreciation Week)
- Mother’s Day lunch for grad moms
- Father’s Day coffee for grad dads
GradFamilies programs
Open climbing at Rock Spot
Want to try rock climbing? MIT student parents and their children (age 4 years and up) can climb at Rock Spot in Brookline, paid for by the Office of Graduate Education. There is also a designated toddler time for kids 4 and under to climb on smaller equipment, before the gym opens to the public. Reach out to gradfamilies@mit.edu for details.
Ice skating tickets
In the winter, the Office of Graduate Education has ice skating tickets available for MIT student parents and their family to go ice skating at the on campus rink during “general skate” times. Please reach out to gradfamilies@mit.edu for more information.
Other MIT events and programs for families
Open Space programming
The MIT Open Space hosts many family friendly events, which are open to the public. Past events have included kid-friendly movie nights, outdoor games, a fall party, arts and crafts, music events, and kids clothing swaps.
Family housing events
MIT’s on campus family housing (Westgate, Site 4, and Grad Junction) organize their own community activities throughout the year. Reach out to your dorm’s executive committee (Westgate) or advisory committee (Site 4) for details.
MIT policy advocacy
Grad Student Council: Housing & Community Affairs Committee
The GSC HCA & Families Committee is always seeking new members. The HCA & Family Committee has worked to increase family housing options, advocate for affordable childcare options, maintain high-quality and affordable health care options, and improve campus safety for families.
The Council on Family and Work
This council monitors the quality of life at MIT and shares its impressions with senior administrators, key committees, and the larger community. Committee membership. This committee includes two graduate students.
Local area community-building
Outside of MIT, there are additional spaces where you can find community. Many past students particularly those living off-campus have found these Facebook groups to be a good place to learn about resources and build community.
Moms of Camberville (MOC) are Facebook groups for moms of babies born around the same time who live in Somerville, Cambridge, Medford, Arlington, Belmont, and Watertown. Look for your cohort below!
- MOC 13.0 : Due/born September 2026 to August 2027
- MOC 12.0 : Born September 2025 to August 2026
- MOC 11.0 : Born September 2024 to August 2025
- MOC 10.0 : Born September 2023 to August 2024
- MOC 9.0 : Born September 2022 to August 2023
- MOC 8.0 : Born September 2021 to August 2022
- MOC 7.0 : Born September 2020 to August 2021
- MOC 6.0 : Born September 2019 to August 2020
Buy nothing group
If you are looking for second-hand household items or want to give away your gently used items, you can check out the MIT Free and For Sale group on Facebook.
Please note that this is an external group and it is not organized or monitored by MIT or the Office of Graduate Education.
