Expo themes find a place in UAE's classrooms

Dubai - So far, more than 40,000 students in the UAE have engaged with the Expo team.

The Expo 2020 Dubai is aiming to touch the lives of students across the UAE by educating them about its three sub-themes - opportunity, sustainability and mobility - and encouraging schools to incorporate these themes in their learning curriculum.
So far, more than 40,000 students in the UAE have engaged with the Expo team, as well as more than 3,000 teachers and school leaders.
The Expo School Programme is a dedicated platform of the official Expo 2020 team that aims to get the school community involved with the grand show.
Alya Al Ali, a 26-year-old Emirati who is the director of the Expo School Programme, told Khaleej Times: "We have an entire department that has been specifically established to engage with the school community here in the UAE. The main objective is to make sure that the community is part of the Expo and that students and educators feel involved.
"Over 70 volunteer teachers have helped us develop the resources that we have already uploaded on the website. We have an online platform that is dedicated entirely to the school community. All of our initiatives and learning resources, as well as bookings for the visitor centre, are available on this website."
The senior associate at the Expo School Programme, Maryam Al Safran, said a majlis was recently held by the team, where 17 students discussed how cities can be improved for future generations.
The majlis was titled as 'CityZen 2030: Gen Z and the Future of Cities' and had gathered kids aged 14 to 17  to discuss opportunities and challenges related to the urban areas of tomorrow.
Al Safran said: "As you may know, after we close the doors for the Expo, the whole area is going to turn into a city called District 2020. We wanted to hear from the students what that city would look like for them and how they see themselves living there."
Schools in the UAE are also implementing the themes of the Expo into students' curriculums.
At Greenfield Community School, for instance, there is a 17-member student Expo 2020 committee, which actively promotes the event within the school.
Michael Worth, the Expo 2020 coordinator at the school, said: "The school is now integrating the themes into learning activities and lessons. Some of our students are working on design projects based on the Expo, such as designing pavilions, uniforms for the staff and volunteers, murals to decorate area, transport and websites to provide information. Our student magazine team will be visiting the site soon to write a feature for the next issue."
At Gems Wellington International School, students from Year 1 to 6 are focusing on one theme of the Expo through the subjects of geography, history, art and science. The children in each year group are provided with 'spark' questions designed to inspire and drive the learning. In Year 6, for example, students were asked: "Does change always bring opportunity?" 
Sameera Hussain, a Year 6 teacher at the school, said: "Some examples of educating the children through the theme of sustainability were: Year 4 students delving into history and geography to prove that climate change exists; and Year 6 children exploring the geographical growth of cities and how this has influenced traffic. They are currently trying to solve traffic issues in Dubai. "
KT NANO EDIT
Catch 'em young
Being a part of events such as Expo 2020 is an education in itself. The scope of planning and preparation required offers real-life lessons that arguably go beyond the purview of most academic learnings. The benefits, primarily in this case, multiply because of the underlying commitment towards sustainability. Such experiences are important to pique the interest in young minds and encourage them to think innovatively.
sarwat@khaleejtimes.com
 

• Dubai