Chapter 71 - Bringing the Summit Home
The buses returned to Westbrook High just after sunset.
Parents waited in the parking lot, eager to hear stories from the national summit. Students unloaded prototype cases, backpacks, posters, and boxes filled with notes collected from dozens of workshops.
Coach Daniels didn't send everyone home immediately.
"Ten minutes," he said, unlocking the robotics lab.
The students smiled.
They all knew exactly what that meant.
No trip officially ended until the lab had welcomed everyone back.
Inside, the familiar workshop felt smaller than before.
Not because anything had changed.
Because the students had.
Emma pinned a large map of the United States to the wall.
Colored pins marked every school they had collaborated with during the summit.
California.
Texas.
Colorado.
Michigan.
Florida.
New York.
Oregon.
Illinois.
Soon the map displayed connections stretching from coast to coast.
Ryan joined the group through a video call.
"I already miss being there."
"So do we," Emma admitted.
Alex carefully unpacked Version 16 and returned it to its workbench.
Instead of looking complete, it now appeared full of possibilities.
Small sticky notes covered the frame.
Ideas from researchers.
Suggestions from therapists.
Questions from students.
Recommendations from community volunteers.
Each note represented another conversation.
Coach Daniels looked around the room.
"How many changes are you planning?"
Alex laughed.
"I stopped counting."
Professor Chen called later that evening.
"I wanted to congratulate all of you."
Emma smiled.
"We didn't win anything."
Professor Chen chuckled.
"That's exactly why I'm congratulating you."
The students looked confused.
"The strongest projects leave the event unfinished."
She paused.
"They leave with reasons to keep growing."
After ending the call, Alex opened his notebook.
Under Project 17, he wrote another sentence.
Every conversation is part of the design process.
The page no longer looked empty.
May you like
Neither did the future.
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