(MENAFN- Emirates News Agency (WAM)) Thousands of students are up for an exciting 10 days as Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week in Schools, ADSWS, activities commence. The initiative, which is a collaboration with Abu Dhabi Education Council, is an emirate-wide educational programme that increases awareness about sustainable development and inspires youth towards STEM education and careers.
Designed to help students understand the importance of sustainable development and how they can play a role in promoting it, ADSWS kicked off on January 12th across 30 public and private schools including British School Al Khubairat, Al Bateen Secondary Schools, Glenelg Schools of Abu Dhabi, Al Ebtikar and Al Khazna.
Dr. Nawal Al-Hosany, Director of Sustainability at Masdar and Director of the Zayed Future Energy Prize, said, "Sustainability has been an integral part of our country's development goals. With a variety of globally significant events happening as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week this year, it is important to extend these discussions to young people and to help them understand what sustainability is and how it can positively impact their society. We are hoping that, through hands-on learning experiences, ADSWS will increase the youth awareness of sustainability and their curiosity to innovate for a sustainable future." The programme's engaging activities include two key projects, Junior Abu Dhabi Solar Challenge and A Sustainable Home Model, in addition to life-size sustainability board games in school yards. Teachers received manuals that include information on sustainability and conservation in addition to tips and guidelines for the in-school projects.
Junior Abu Dhabi Solar Challenge, JADSC, students aged from 12 to 15 will design, build and drive solar-powered cars. As part of the programme, schools were provided with solar car kits, teaching the basics of energy conversion, energy efficiency and the sustainable use of energy. After going through each phase, one qualifying team from each school will enter a 25m race For A Sustainable Home Model, 10 teams from each school will build a sustainable house for a family of five, addressing issues like energy and water consumption, waste water management and sustainable building materials. The final project will be a 2-minute presentation to the class and guest evaluators Commenting on the programme, Nadine Hassan, Head of Social Development and Partnerships, Mubadala, said, "We try to strike a balance between relevance, education and fun with our youth initiatives, and we designed ADSWS activities to be engaging and cater to young people's curiosity. The projects seek to advance students critical thinking and provide practical learning opportunities in mathematics and scientific investigation while increasing their awareness of a critical issue like sustainability."
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