Secondary School - 14th May 2018

Last week, 8 students from NAISAK and Compass International School Doha made the long journey over to Boston to visit the Massachusetts institute of Technology. This was all part of Nord Anglia’s STEAM week@MIT. We joined over 20 other Nord Anglia schools from all over the globe. The week was filled with exciting opportunities which the students thoroughly enjoyed. We attended mini lectures from current MIT graduates and researchers. They shared their experiences and the work that they are currently undertaking. It was refreshing to see all the pupils so eager to learn more about the research taking place! We also had a mystery hunt which was a smaller version of the famous MIT hunt that occurs every year. Pupils used this to get to know their new peers as well as to explore the campus. 

Boda Borg was another highlight for the pupils and staff alike. This is a series of rooms which have puzzles for participants to solve in order to move to the next room. It became quite competitive between students and staff members. 
We spent a day in the life of undergraduates who study the 2.009 toy design course. This involved pupils designing a new toy and building prototypes to show to potential CEOs. There was a lot of interesting ideas and unique game designs put forward. All students embraced the motto ‘ideate, model, test’. It was great to see. 
The trashion workshop was led by students at MIT who have an interest in fashion and also in helping to protect the environment. Pupils used recycled and discarded materials to design and create personalised items. Some of the creations were really unique! 

We spent a day at Harvard University. This was an excellent and inspiring experience. Pupils learned all about the history of the university and it gave them something to aspire towards in the future. Here are a handful of quotes from our students about their experiences: 

“The trip was outstanding. We explored the MIT campus as well as Harvard. We spent most of our time at the MIT campus and learnt about things like toy design and robotics. If I could have stayed longer I would have explored both MIT and Harvard more and learnt more about their histories”. Gede 

“I had a fantastic time at MIT and Harvard. I met people from around the world and also made new friends. We attended fun workshops such as robotics. We learned many new things. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity and was unforgettable. I would jump at the chance to go again!”. Maymoona 

“I had a really good time in MIT. I made a lot of new friends from around the world. The workshops were really fun and useful. We did extra activities such as boda borg and the duck tour and these were really fun. After the trip I decided that I want to go to MIT when I’m older. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to be able to visit two of the best universities in the world” Wali.