How does "just money" lift communities up?

In John's June Newsletter

Three cartoon people are shown from the waist up. one is reading on a table, one is using a laptop, and one is on a mobile phone. Text reads "We need your support! Give by June 30 to help us reach our goal and support reliable knowledge at your fingertips. Wherever you are. Give today."

Dear John,

The countdown is on to our biggest fundraising deadline of the year on June 30, and we still need 150 people to donate in order to meet our goal. Will you do your part to support free resources from OpenCourseWare?

Yes, I'll give!

OCW will always be here for you and will always be completely free.

As MIT's curriculum evolves to reflect our fast-changing world, and more users learn from a smartphone, on-the-go, or offline, we're developing a new and enhanced platform to make sure we're offering you and your fellow OCW learners the best experience possible.

To get there, we need your help. Thank you for considering a gift today!

Chalk Radio: Building Our Muscle for Democracy with Prof. Ceasar McDowell

Three people sitting on a wooden bench inside a museum, their backs shown. They look at a mural of photos of individual faces.

Has our democracy adapted to the complex realities of today's modern, largely urbanized America? In this episode, MIT Professor Ceasar McDowell shares how he's helping students design better, more equitable public conversations.

The classic New England town meeting, with voters gathered in a large hall to decide issues directly, is often cited as the purest form of American democracy. But historically, those town meetings gave a voice only to certain classes of people.

In this episode, we meet Ceasar McDowell, Professor of the Practice of Community Development at MIT and newly appointed associate director of MIT's Center for Constructive Communication.

> Read the complete article

Check out the latest on our YouTube page, which recently surpassed 3 MILLION subscribers!

A portion of a diagram exploring the nature and uses of how Vancouver City Savings Credit Union uses money. Phrases shown include "We put your deposits to work," “We share profits with members…” “We invest with impact,” “Our investments generate profits,” “We share profits with businesses and organizations (grants, sponsorships, events),” “This makes your community better (stronger economy, cleaner environment, improved social well-being)”

A portion of a diagram exploring the nature and uses of how Vancouver City Savings Credit Union (Vancity Credit Union) uses money. (Image courtesy of the instructors.)

11.405 Just Money: Banking as if Society Mattered

Do you know what your bank does with your money? What is the role of a bank in producing societal well-being?

This course looks into banks that operate differently, namely, “just banks" that use capital and finance as a tool to address social and ecological challenges.

This course is for anyone who wants to understand the unique role banks play as intermediaries in our economy and how they can leverage that position to produce positive social, environmental, and economic change.

Go to OCW’s Open Learning Library site for 11.405x: Just Money: Banking as if Society Mattered. The site is free to use, just like all OCW sites. You have the option to sign up and enroll in the course if you want to track your progress, or you can view and use all the materials without enrolling.

An image of a corgi, reflected upon itself multiple times.

A kaleidoscopic image produced by repeatedly concatenating arrays of pixel values in Julia. (Image of Philip the corgi courtesy of the instructors.)

18.S191 Introduction to Computational Thinking

This is an introductory course on computational thinking. We use the Julia programming language to approach real-world problems in varied areas, applying data analysis and computational and mathematical modeling.

In this class, you will learn computer science, software, algorithms, applications, and mathematics as an integrated whole. Topics include image analysis, particle dynamics and ray tracing, epidemic propagation, and climate modeling.

Two scattered spheres on a black background—these spheres are of color-mixed in red and orange and have tiny green spikes on the fringe.

This transmission electron microscopic image shows SARS-CoV-2, also known as 2019-nCoV, the virus that causes COVID-19. (Image courtesy of NIH/NIAID. License: CC BY).

RES.10-S95 Physics of COVID-19 Transmission

This resource is a collection of videos taught using a LightBoard, a specialized glass that creates a transparent white board. It teaches scientific principles to quantitatively assess the risk of airborne transmission of COVID-19 in indoor spaces based on factors such as the occupancy, time, room geometry, mask use, ventilation, air filtration, humidity, respiratory activities, etc., as well as how these factors interact. This collection is suitable for learners with some undergraduate-level training in STEM, although some videos may also be accessible to the general public. Graduate students and professionals can watch optional videos with more challenging mathematics.

The full course with problems is available for free on edX with this MITx course: Physics of COVID-19 Transmission.

For free resources for high school teachers and students, check out: