Embracing the scientific spirit: One week at MIT

Alexia, one of our grade 12 students, recently participated in a stimulating week-long event at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA. She was one of 50 students from 31 Nord Anglia Education schools worldwide to win a place on this trip through an innovation and design STEAM competition.

Academic life at a cutting-edge research institution

The trip gave these STEAM-minded students an authentic glimpse of high-level scientific research in action. Over five days, they engaged in lectures, workshops and masterclasses led by PhD students, researchers and MIT professors. Along the way, they encountered exciting topics such as whether exoplanets could support life. Other highlights included using a high-speed imaging camera to capture movement too fast for the human eye to see, visiting the MIT nuclear reactor, and participating in a mock UN Climate Change Summit.

The week exposed these students to many new ideas, but also challenged them to put those theories into practice. Working together in teams, our participants applied their STEAM skills to an interesting challenge: creating a sustainable and innovative toy for industrial production! Students had to consider various design and manufacturing aspects while integrating newly learned scientific concepts and technology to develop their prototype.

And while the focus of the trip was academic, learning wasn’t the only activity on the itinerary – students also enjoyed a boat tour of Boston and visits to the campuses of MIT and Harvard.

Overall, the week-long trip provided a fantastic opportunity for students to exchange knowledge in areas like coding, design, mathematics, and art, and to hone their problem-solving skills. At Champittet, we are proud to collaborate with MIT throughout the year, teaching our students that creativity and collaboration are key to STEAM success!