Experiential Learning

Experiential learning at Harvard Kennedy School is an immersive experience both in the classroom and the field. Students, faculty, and state and local project partners bring together their unique skills and experiences to explore critical community issues from many angles. The research they produce is powerful, with an impact that extends far beyond a single course.

Building from the pioneering work of Professor Linda Bilmes with her Greater Boston Applied Field Lab, which started in 2005 with generous support from Jerry and Phyllis Rappaport, experiential learning opportunities through the Rappaport Institute have grown to include several courses that expose students to the real-world policy challenges of their state and local government clients. Learn more about our experiential learning opportunities below.

Experiential learning is a teaching approach in which students learn by actively engaging in real-world work as part of their academic training. In the Field Lab, experiential learning means students study municipal government by working directly on well-scoped city projects, applying analytical and technical skills while receiving close faculty instruction and feedback.

The Urban Politics Field Lab was launched by Associate Professor of Public Policy Justin de Benedictis-Kessner as a companion course to the popular spring semester Greater Boston Applied Field Lab. The course covers a broad range of challenges facing city politics, with some past projects focusing on zoning, community harbor access, and traffic policy. 

Learn more about our experiential learning opportunities below.

Visit the Field Lab website here