When we began planning for the Summer sessions, the path ahead was uncertain. We weren't sure how much support we would receive from volunteers. However, optimism is the core essence of the incredible Aspire team. Fueled by curiosity and a hint of nervousness, I eagerly signed up for the Summer Camp.

To my surprise, I discovered that more than 20 high school volunteers had signed up. It was amazing to witness their journey. This platform provided them with the opportunity to lead enrichment sessions, and each volunteer did an outstanding job. I was primarily involved with STEM and ART, so I can provide more insight into these areas.

Arjun and his team did a fantastic job creating a syllabus for hands-on science projects. The kids took a lot of interest and wholeheartedly enjoyed the process. I was in touch with Shaunak for the programming sessions, which were particularly challenging to plan for elementary kids without access to computer labs during the summer. However, he found innovative ways to teach the basics of algorithms and even introduced sorting concepts in a fun and engaging manner. This was truly commendable.

For ART, I worked with Dhatri for some time. She is incredibly passionate, and her teaching style was smooth and engaging. I really loved how she conducted her sessions.

We definitely have room for improvement. In my opinion, some sessions need better time management. It was challenging to keep the entire class engaged during each session. Some kids were very interested, while others were not, which was particularly noticeable in the ART sessions. While some kids were eager to learn, others seemed disengaged.

We also faced some coordination hiccups during the first two or three days. However, thanks to our director, Sudha Ji, who managed all the coordination issues single-handedly like a warrior, we overcame these challenges and triumphed in the end. I would like to thank all the other volunteers who are the pillars of this program. Overall, this was a very enriching experience, and I feel blessed to witness it every day!