MIT Students Build Solar-Powered Charging Station

Reviving a Tradition of Learning by Doing

Apr. 12, 2026 at 7:20pm

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An abstract, highly structured painting in soft, flat colors featuring sweeping geometric arcs, concentric circles, and precise botanical spirals, conceptually representing the renewable energy and interdisciplinary design of MIT's new solar-powered charging station.MIT's student-built solar-powered charging station brings renewable energy and hands-on learning to campus life.Cambridge Today

A cross-disciplinary team of MIT students designed and installed a solar-powered charging station on campus as part of the university's New Engineering Education Transformation (NEET) program, reviving the school's hands-on learning ethos.

Why it matters

The project embodies NEET's mission of interdisciplinary, project-driven study with experiential learning at its core, empowering students to tackle complex societal challenges that span multiple fields. It also represents a return to MIT's cherished tradition of visible, collaborative, student-driven initiatives that bring prototypes to campus life.

The details

The solar-charging station, nestled in a quiet campus courtyard, offers climate-friendly power for phones, laptops, and tablets. The team, comprising students from chemical engineering, materials science, mechanical engineering, and nuclear science, designed the station's forest-inspired look to evoke organic connectivity, with tree-trunk-inspired supports, oyster-mushroom-shaped desk space, and curved solar panels resembling a forest canopy. The project required navigating real-world bureaucracy and overcoming unexpected design-implementation challenges.

  • The NEET program was launched in 2017 to reimagine undergraduate engineering education at MIT.
  • The solar-charging project was a key component of NEET's Climate and Sustainability Systems (CSS) thread in 2026.

The players

Amitava 'Babi' Mitra

The founding executive director of MIT's New Engineering Education Transformation (NEET) program.

AaronDe Leon

A nuclear science and engineering major focusing on clean energy, who was drawn to the early ideation and brainstorming stages of the project.

Celestina Pint

A materials science and engineering major who joined NEET in search of an open, interdisciplinary approach to climate and sustainability.

Nathan Melenbrink

A NEET lecturer and the lead instructor for the CSS thread of the class that created the solar-charging station.

Tyler Ea

A fifth-year mechanical engineering student who joined NEET last year and now serves as a teaching assistant for the class.

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What they’re saying

“I was especially drawn to the early stage of the project, when ideation and brainstorming took center stage in ways I hadn't seen before.”

— AaronDe Leon, nuclear science and engineering major

“I like the interdisciplinary aspect.”

— Celestina Pint, materials science and engineering major

“The freedom to explore as deeply as desired and to make design decisions along the way was invaluable.”

— AaronDe Leon, nuclear science and engineering major

What’s next

This year's Introduction to Design Thinking and Rapid Prototyping class will fabricate and install a new solar-powered charging station featuring a fresh design.

The takeaway

The solar-charging station project demonstrates how MIT's NEET program is reviving the university's hands-on learning tradition, empowering students to tackle complex sustainability challenges through interdisciplinary, project-driven study and experiential learning.