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Waving banners they had made in class, the students of Mrs. Lila Morris’ sixth-grade class at Oakland, California’s Lowell Middle School, said “Bon Voyage“ to the Boomerang Box on September 29th.

The Boomerang Box was lifted aboard the APL ship President Truman, ready to begin a journey to Nhava Sheva, India carrying a load of Blue Diamond almonds.

For Mrs. Morris’ students, whose school is just down the street from APL’s Middle Harbor Terminal, the chance to watch the Boomerang Box in action was exciting. None of the students had ever been on a container terminal before or that close to a container ship. They were amazed at how tall the ship was and how many containers it was holding. The students had spent several weeks preparing for their trip to see the Boomerang Box by studying where the Box would be going, what it would be carrying, and how goods are moved around the world.

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As student Jartu Senwah said at the terminal, “The Box is going to help us learn about trade. Before last week, I never thought about how many things I use every day from other countries. Now I will know where they came from and how they got here.“

Another student, Mister Rowan, added, “I liked learning about how people in India first learned about almonds. I want to learn more about what they like to eat and what they listen to and what they read. Maybe we’ll also get to learn what they celebrate and what kinds of things they trade with us.“

Their teacher, Lila Morris shared the excitement of the day. “It’s so important that students keep learning and that they stay interested in what they’re learning,“ she said. “The Boomerang Box project makes learning about geography and social studies fun.“

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As the students watched, the Boomerang Box was lifted high above their heads by a giant white crane then set down gently atop a stack of containers on the APL Truman. The students cheered. The ship’s captain blew his horn. And APL CEO Tim Rhein and Blue Diamond Transportation Manager Jil Morley described for students how the container would be locked in place so that the almonds it carried would stay safe and secure for their journey across the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

As Mr. Rhein told the students, “Those of us who work in international trade every day know how important trade is to California’s economy. After all, our state is the top exporter in the country.“

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“International trade can be as complicated as multinational trade negotiations with billions of dollars at stake,“ he told them. “Or it can be as simple as a flower out of season or the latest video game. As the Boomerang Box travels from country to country this year, I hope it helps all of you understand international trade better. And I hope it makes you more conscious of how very much all of us participate in international trade already.“

The students in Mrs. Morris’ class would certainly agree! They’re now planning to follow the Boomerang Box as it travels to India and beyond.