Crockett Middle School hosted Anand Surana, CEO of the India-based technology consulting company ICEGEIN, in a visit to the school February 25.

The visit was the beginning of a collaborative effort between Irving ISD and the Surana Group of Institutions, schools that Surana’s foundation supports. In preparation for the visit, students at Crockett posted questions online. During Surana’s visit, he and the students discussed issues related to green technology and global climate change.

Surana and his company’s foundation contributes to the building of schools in India, and is affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education in New Delhi. Schools the company supports offer classes from the preprimary level to senior secondary level, serving approximately 2,000 students. At the secondary level, the school offers both science- and career-oriented classes. Students are also required to learn English, an additional language, social sciences, physical and biological sciences, and mathematics.

Since beginning the collaboration, Crockett students have shared research and questions with students at a school in Chennai, India, the city in which ICEGEIN is located. Students’ postings on Blackboard were shared with students in India, creating a conduit for discussion.

During Surana’s visit, a letter of interest was signed, forming an agreement between Crockett and the Surana Group of Institutions. This agreement will help build upon students’ discussions, share information related to IISD’s Net Zero Middle School, and exchange knowledge about culture and heritage.