Frequently Asked Questions

OPENING DAY

Frontiers I (July 9-July 21)

When participants and families arrive on campus, they should drive to the East Hall Parking Lot, found at 39 Dean Street, Worcester, MA. There will be signage and staff to greet and guide participants through the check-in and move-in process. The process is designed so that participants will be in close proximately to the residence halls for convenience of moving all belongings into their room. Please note that we will have staff available to assist in escorting participants to their room with their belongings.

Frontiers II (July 23-August 4)

When participants and families arrive on campus, they should drive to the Park Avenue Garage, found at 151 Salisbury Street, Worcester, MA. There will be signage and staff to greet and guide participants through the check-in and move-in process. The process is designed so that participants can drive their vehicles in close proximately to the residence halls for convenience of moving all belongings into their room. Please note that we will have staff available to assist in escorting participants to their room with their belongings. Once all belongings are unloaded from the vehicle, the driver should park in the WPI Parking Garage, which is located at 151 Salisbury Street, Worcester, MA and then walk to the residence hall to reunite with the participant.

Opening day begins on Sunday with check-in and move-in into the residence halls followed by information sessions for both participants and families. Families will then depart from campus, which is when participants will continue with their schedule of ice breakers and games, a scavenger hunt, orientation, floor meeting, dinner, unpacking, and more. Opening day schedules will be listed here closer to program opening with specific time frames and additional information.

CLOSING DAY

Closing day activities begin on Friday morning with the Minor Showcases, followed by Major Showcases, closing ceremony, slideshow, and move-out. Participants  must return their room key at the check-out table in the lobby of the residence hall. Please note that the WPI Campus Bookstore will be open and is located on the entrance level of the Rubin Campus Center. Closing day schedules will be listed here closer to program opening with specific time frames and additional information.

Refer to map as reference.

Participants will have the same general Monday thru Friday, with their major from 8:30 - 10:15 am and 1:30 - 4:00 pm, their minor from 10:30 am -12:30 pm, and activities from 4:00 - 9:00 pm. A few examples of activities from previous years include Minute To Win It games, billiards, movie nights, soccer, ultimate Frisbee, trivia, resume writing, interview skills, career exploration, and a college fair (Frontiers I only). During the weekends, fun activities on and off campus will be provided.

Morgan Dining Hall provides an array of food, including a complete a salad bar, vegan /vegetarian items, sandwiches, chicken tenders, French fries, pizza, and pasta! In addition, there is whole and sliced fruit, yogurt, baked goods, and soft serve ice cream are offered for dessert!

We are happy to accommodate participants with food allergies and other dietary concerns, including, but not limited to vegan, vegetarian, and Halal meals. If there is a dietary accommodation, please inform our office by June 1 so that we can provide the best dining experience for your participant.

We have removed the presence of peanuts and tree nuts from this dining hall in order to allow summer participants with nut allergies more freedom of choice. In order to ensure this policy, no outside food is allowed in the dining hall. If this is a concern, please reach out to the Office of Pre-collegiate Outreach Programs at pop@wpi.edu.

Special Dietary Concerns:

We have a Balance U Station that prepares a tasty menu line without the “Top 8” allergens or gluten (milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybean). Our culinary staff and associates at the station are all specially trained to limit cross-contact during food prep.

There is an area of the dining hall, called S.P.A.C.E. (Special Product Allergen Controlled Eating) which has a wide variety of packaged gluten-free foods, cereals, snacks, breads, and prepared pasta. A toaster and microwave oven are also available in this area, and are used only for gluten-free foods to minimize cross-contamination. Non-dairy milk beverages are also available. Please contact Shavaun Cloran, Registered Dietitian, at scloran@wpi.edu for any specific concerns/questions.

It is a requirement for participants to live in a WPI residence hall during the program as it contributes to the overall experience. The participants will be supervised by WPI undergraduate students (RPAs) in the residence halls. Depending on the specific residence hall assigned, each participant will have one or two roommates and are assigned to a room and floor of their gender identity. Students can request a roommate during the program in their application. Only mutual requests will be honored. Room assignments will be given on opening day at check-in. Each participant will have their own bed, dresser, desk, and closet. Sheets, a towel, and a pillow are supplied; see “Suggested Packing List” for more information.

Residence halls are not air-conditioned, so we highly recommend bringing a fan.

Washers and dryers are available on campus for laundry.  Participants must download the "Automatic Laundry App" and load funds onto the app.  Price is $2,00 to wash, $2,00 to dry plus the option to add time to dryer for $0.25 for 6 minutes.  Please note, once you add funds to your app, you will not be able to collect excess funds, so please plan accordingly.

Residence hall rooms include linens (sheets, a light blanket, a towel, and a pillow), however, we suggest that you bring the following items.

• Clothing items appropriate for warm days and air-conditioned classrooms
• Long pants and closed-toed shoes (some labs require them for safety)
• Fan
• Toiletries/hygiene products, shower caddy, shower shoes
• Laundry items (detergent, basket)
• Umbrella
• Outfit for the closing dance celebration
• Snacks (must be nut-free)
• Sunscreen/bug spray
• Trash can
• Optional:  money for the bookstore, field trip souvenirs, grub hub, etc. 

*It is strongly advised not to bring any valuables (expensive jewelry, games, TVs, tablets, etc.)

Students will also be provided with a folder, notebook, and pen for their courses. Each student will receive a water bottle at check-in and there are refill stations located throughout campus and the residence halls.

For our two-week programs, many families and friends would like to send mail to their participants. Mail will be distributed during meals or in the residence halls by summer staff members. Please use the following mailing address.

(Participant’s Name) c/o WPI Frontiers Program
Bartlett Center 
100 Institute Road 
Worcester, MA 01609-2280

All programs are overseen by several staff members with expertise in engineering, teaching, outreach programs, admissions, and student life. This staff supports summer and academic year efforts in inspiring and reaching youth to spark a passion for STEM. During summer programs, the entire WPI community is involved in supporting our programs, including our WPI undergraduate students who serve as daytime counselors, called Program Assistants (PAs). During the evening, participants are with WPI undergraduate students, called Residential Program Assistants (RPAs) who have demonstrated leadership skills, maturity, and have experience with youth. All faculty and staff have been carefully selected to provide participants with a variety of positive role models and have been through extensive training and a background check. Throughout the program, staff supervision ratios exceed camp association recommendations.

We are happy to make reasonable accommodations for any participants who want to observe religious observations or attend religious services. To ensure we have ample time to make necessary arrangements, please contact our office no later than June 1.

A summer health care center is open 24/7 to all program participants, with registered nurses. If your participant needs to take prescription medication while on campus, this should be given to the health care staff when they first arrive on campus at drop-off. Families will pick up the medication from the nursing staff on the last day of the program. Prescriptions must be in their original packaging with the prescribing physician and dosage listed.

Participants provide their own transportation to and from the program. If participants are traveling from a distance, by a train or a plane, they may arrive one day prior to opening day on Sunday and one day after closing on Friday. However, we strongly encourage travel plans to align as closely as they can with opening and closing days, since there will not be additional programming offered during those times.

If participants are considering airport options, below is a list of airports that former Frontiers participants have utilized.

Below is a list of airports:

Logan airport

Boston Logan International Airport (massport.com)

Bradley International airport

Bradley International Airport | Love The Journey! (bradleyairport.com)

T.F. Green airport

Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport | PVD | Rhode Island

Worcester Regional airport

Worcester Regional Airport (ORH) (massport.com)

WPI does not offer a specific shuttle transportation service through the university. Below is a list of companies that have worked with our students in the past.

Joeys Limo

http://www.joeyslimousine.com/

Wachusett Limo

http://www.wachusettlimo.com/

Knights Limo

https://www.knightslimo.com/

The WPI Pre-Collegiate Outreach Programs strives to provide a safe, secure, educational and fun environment for our summer programs participants. In order to achieve this, we ask that all parents, guardians and participants follow all policies that are outlined. Please visit our Program Policies webpage for complete details.

The WPI Pre-Collegiate Outreach Programs strives to provide a safe, secure, educational and fun environment for our summer programs participants. In order to achieve this, we ask that all parents, guardians and participants follow all policies that are outlined. Please visit our Program Policies webpage for complete details.

The Office of Pre-collegiate Outreach Programs offers financial assistance for families with demonstrated financial need. Please see our Program Policies for more details.

In order to reserve the participant's spot in their program, an initial deposit of $500 must be paid within 2 weeks after acceptance into the Frontiers program.

We require the following items to be submitted by June 1 so that we can fully prepare all of our camps and programs. All forms can be uploaded through your application portal. If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Pre-collegiate Outreach Programs by phone at 508-831-4900 or email at pop@wpi.edu.

· Payment in full.

· A copy of the participant’s most recent physical and immunizations from a physician. These documents must be within the last 18 months.

· A headshot photo of the participant so that it can be included on the roster for instructors and medical staff. The photograph should be of the head and shoulders only and clearly show your face without hats, sunglasses, headphones, or other accessories. The photo should preferably have a plain white background and saved as a .jpg. *Participants will be issued a WPI Photo ID, which will include this headshot photo. Participants are asked to carry the WPI ID during the program since it will grant access to residence halls, academic buildings, labs, and other facilities on campus.

· The General Form will collect information for your WPI ID card, housing preferences, use of the WPI Sports & Recreation Center, participation in off-campus activities, and participation liability waivers.

· The Health Form will collect information to ensure your health and safety at the program.

· The Travel Form will collect information for participant's arrival and departure from campus.