Today we went to BCA to teach the students for the last time, which was very bittersweet. We had a different group of students today, the 8th graders, and it was great to be able to connect with a new group. They were all so smart and eager to learn, we were so impressed they were doing activities that we learned in college.
Today was Kyleigh’s birthday, and Principal Sir and the teachers planned a surprise for her and a teacher who shared the same birthday. They called us all into the main room where they had a cake and a happy birthday sign on the board. Everyone sang happy birthday to Kyleigh and the teacher, and some of us fed Kyleigh the cake, as it is an Indian tradition for good luck. It was such a sweet surprise, and Kyleigh got so emotional seeing all the love and effort that the BCA students and staff put into her birthday and everything else this week.
The students did the IOE Lego activity to learn about cost management and optimization, and they all had a blast playing with Lego. They were so creative with their designs, similar to the older students yesterday.
They also learned about Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering through a buoyancy activity. The students built boats out of various materials like straws, coffee filters, parchment paper, tin foil, chopsticks, and more. They tested the boats in a bucket of water to see if they’d float and how much weight they could withstand. The students really enjoyed this activity and had a lot of fun making boats.
The new students also did the same pre-med and Lego mindstorm activities from yesterday, and they loved them. We were so impressed that they were able to catch on and learn so fast, even though it was the same material that we taught the older students.
We had so much fun with the students at lunch today, sharing food, stories, dance moves, and Marathi words. We will cherish this time we spent getting to know the students and learning from each other forever. Finally, it was time to go home and we were very sad to leave the students, as they were such active participants in the activities and kind friends to us. I took a picture of this chalkboard because I thought this message was so perfect and encompassing of our week at BCA. I really like how the arms shaking hands have the Indian and American flags to show the relationship between us and BCA. Engineering truly has brought us together this week, and it has been such an amazing experience.
When we went home to COB for lunch, some of us decided to do our laundry on the balcony. We took a bucket, water, and laundry detergent, and hand washed some of our clothes. The balcony was a perfect and sunny place to let them dry and we had a blast washing our clothes out there.
We returned to the school at 3 pm for our final teacher interaction where we learned about some important ancient temples around India. We saw some very architecturally sound examples that are a testament to the art and history of the country. SWE shared about US culture including our music, celebrities, sports culture, and dance forms. We also shared about the current state of the US economy and discussed how it differed from India.
Finally, we decided to head outside and get our first try at the beloved sport of Cricket! We had so much fun practicing batting and playing outfield against the teachers. After a close game, we ultimately lost but jumped at the chance to keep playing. Before leaving BCA, we met with Principal Sir and discussed the week while trying our first taste of homemade sugarcane juice.
We headed back to COB to practice our dance performance for the closing ceremony tomorrow. Then, we had dinner with both Principal Sir and the other supervisors where they shared more about their lives and the progress the school had made. Overall, it was an amazing day and although we are sad to go, we look forward to the rest of the trip!
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