A host of activities and events have been lined up for Dubai schools as part of the UAE Innovation Week celebration which kicked off on November 20. The focus of this year’s activities will be on bringing the community together to innovate for good and foster design thinking skills to create a better future for all.
Working together with leading educators and schools, the innovation-themed events have been designed by Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) in collaboration with schools and partners.
Dr. Abdulla Al Karam, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director General of KHDA said, “The UAE Innovation Week is a celebration of innovation for everyone in the UAE and by promoting innovation in schools, we are linking students with the future skills needed in our society. It will bring the community together and encourage our efforts to spread positive education with innovative ideas for all.”
The activities will extend over a week – between 20 to 26 November, with a diverse set of events planned to provide students with a platform to showcase their ideas. The innovation week started with a visit to City International School by senior KHDA officials, where the students showcased their ideas for a better future.
During the week, KHDA will announce the second edition of the hugely successful Saturday Clubs event. With a strong focus on design, the Saturday club delivers a fun, informal and educational programme that brings teenagers from across Dubai’s schools together with social entrepreneurs to make the world better and happier.
Schools will also be invited to participate in a ‘Design for Change’ challenge where students will work together to come up with solutions to real world issues. Participating schools will be given a starter toolkit to guide them through the workshops and teachers will connect with design thinking activities.
Once the teachers run the workshops, students vote on the one design they want to submit and it will be displayed at the Innovation Week Design for Change Exhibition to be hosted at KHDA on Nov 24.
At the end of the innovation week, KHDA will announce winners of the #HappyPlant challenge, which asks students to innovate their way to sustainability and happiness, by developing an artificially intelligent plant.
Hind Al Mualla, Chief of Creativity, Happiness and Innovation at KHDA said, “By creating a series of innovation themed events, we have provided a platform to bring out the creativity in students. The activities during UAE Innovation Week are our way to enhance the quality of student life and happiness in the education community.”
– KHDA Media
