Excelsior Correspondent
![DPS students posing for a group photograph during their trip at Florida in USA.](http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/page18-1-300x221.jpg)
JAMMU, May 7: Educational trips took a new twist for students of Delhi Public School Jammu, which recently organized a trip for 30 students accompanied by Ruchi Chabra and Meenu Gupta Headmistresses of School, to Orlando, Florida, Niagra, Boston and New York, to attend a training programme at the Kennedy Space Center of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
As opposed to the typical trips where there’s very little learning and more amusement, these students got a chance to design and learn how to launch their own satellite at the NASA Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, USA.
“We have been planning for a while that students should get a chance to not just have fun but also explore innovative prospects during educational trips. Since a lot of students were attracted to space and astronauts, we chose the NASA Kennedy Space Centre for the purpose,” said S S Sodhi Director DPS Jammu. “We also want our students to get international exposure, which will help them in the future,” he added.
The itinerary of the trip was so designed to ensure that this would be a valuable experience for all the DPS Jammu students attending this tour.
“The whole idea behind the trip was to provide enduring education to students. I am confident that such experiences live on in students’ minds long after they have received their degrees and certificates”, said Meenu Gupta who accompanied the students as Group Incharge.
During the 14 day-long trip students visited NASA centre and were given a number of challenges including exploring the launching – landing facilities for space shuttles, shuttle manufacturing sites, making robots riding on a shuttle launch simulator, space technology, micro gravity and learning about various other aspects of NASA’s space programme. The students also had the privilege of interacting with the astronauts of NASA. They had a special interaction session with Jon A. Mc Bride STS 41G.
During their visit to Boston the students visited prestigious Universities – Harvard and MIT and interacted with the Harvard and MIT University panels. They attended the campus tours led by MIT and Harvard students that covered some of the most popular areas of the campus including the Student Center, the Zesiger Athletic Center, Kresge Auditorium, the MIT Chapel, the Infinite Corridor, and the Stata Center. The campus tour enriched students by, providing a history of the university, general information, and a unique view on the student’s individual experience!
This trip was mix of activities, fun and education for students. This educational tour also included visits to places like the Disney World and Universal Studios in Orlando, Niagara Falls in Buffalo, Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Madam Tussaud´s, Times Square in New York and World Trade Centre. “Every spot our students visited has a history behind it, and children got to learn a lot,” said Ruchi Chabra.