Over the midterm break a group of 18 transition year students travelled to Kolkata India with Miss Pendle on the HOPE schools immersion programme. Over the course of the week the students were immersed in Indian culture by doing sight seeing tours of the city and learning traditional Indian songs and dances. Each student raised €3,500 prior to travelling on the trip. When they were in Kolkata, they had the opportunity to visit 10 of over 60 HOPE projects, where they could see the places and people who have benefited from the money they raised. Some of the projects the students visited include the HOPE hospital, Bhagar school and crèche, Chitpur after school club, Nimtala Naboasha crèche, Bekind residential childcare centre for boys and Ashar Alo residential childcare centre for girls. The students ended the trip with a Saree night in the hotel, where they had the pleasure of meeting Maureen Forrest, the founder-director of the HOPE foundation.