These students from Oakridge In'tl School was part of Poland's MIT STEAM Fest. Here are some cool stuff they did

In what can simply be called a very exciting opportunity, five students from Oakridge International School, Hyderabad, were selected to attend Europe and the Middle East's regional Nord Anglia MIT STEAM Festival in Warsaw, Poland. The British school, Nord Anglia International School, played host to this unique MIT STEAM Festival which was conducted from June 10 to 14. Over the course of the event, which was themed 'Pioneers of Tomorrow', 200 students from 12 schools were treated to several workshops in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math — drones, robots, 3D printers, the works. Imagine saving a town hit be a disease by using all that you have learnt so far — that was just one of the activities that students had to brainstorm. We speak to two students who attended the festival, who had the time of their life.   

Working in tandem

Milind Shivkumar's most memorable moment was when he and his teammate completed a task in the robotics workshop which no other team could. Then there was also the task of building a bridge using toothpicks, dough and thread which the 13-year-old found very exciting. "Later on, the bridge was tested by placing weights on it. The task, in general, helped me think more, better and faster," says the class VIII student. Apart from this, he also learnt how to handle difficult situations in life. And the highlight? "Collaborating with students and teachers from other countries helped me gain more knowledge," he states.

Discovering inner potential 

One of the tasks at the MIT STEAM Festival was the Curiosity Box where students were given a box full of materials to work with. This was a particular favourite of Isha Matta. She put together a fan using batteries, a motor and a balloon, and had a blast doing it. "Calculating how much weight a particular object can take and learning small things like that was a first for me. And when I discovered that I was pretty good at it just added to the fun," says the 12-year-old, with a giggle. The activity where they needed to code a robot to help it walk and say things was pretty fun too, adds the class VIII student who wants to be an ophthalmologist when she grows up.

Out and about
The students also had the chance to go around this European city and they share their experiences

Old Town 

An area in Warsaw, which was brutally destroyed in World War II, was rebuilt from the ground up and is now a major tourist destination in the city. "When we visited the Old Town, I bought Poland's special dolls for my mother," says Milind who found Old Town extremely beautiful 

Copernicus Science Centre

This place, which is the largest Science centre in Warsaw, absolutely fascinated Isha. She did not just witness a lot of experiments but she also participated in a lot of them. "I truly had a great time," says Isha, who also loved shopping in Old Town