Children ‘Read, Imagine, Draw’ at Sharjah festival

The Environment and Protected Areas Authority (EPAA) is taking part in the 11th Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival at Expo Centre Sharjah. Launched on April 17 with the theme ‘Explore Knowledge’, the Festival will be held until April 27. In addition to participating in diverse activities and programmes, EPAA will highlight the Children’s Farm and help to promote environmental awareness at its booth. EPAA’s theme at this year’s Festival is ‘Read, Imagine, Draw’.

Hana Saif Al Suwaidi, EPAA Chairperson, said, “We are keen to participate in Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival each year. We take part in events that offer us the opportunity to communicate, collaborate and exchange knowledge with other organisations, to introduce the EPAA and its activities and programmes and to enhance awareness about the importance of the environment.”

Mrs Al Suwaidi said that EPAA is displaying a story about the Children’s Farm in both Arabic and English at its booth. To promote reading, imagination and creativity, children are invited to read the story, imagine it, draw it and then put their drawings up on the wall. The booth also features models of the animals at the Farm to encourage children to visit.

At the booth, the EPAA team welcomes comments and suggestions; they answer questions about the environment and provide visitors with comprehensive information.

Almost 200 guests from 56 countries and 167 publishers from 18 nations are participating in Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival this year. Organised by Sharjah Book Authority and sponsored by His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, and his wife Sheikha Jawahar Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, the 11-day Festival will include more than 2,500 events.

HONOUR

The Environment and Protected Areas Authority (EPAA) honoured the winners of the 7th Sharjah Sustainability Award (SSA) and its eleven categories, which includes students from the University of Sharjah, the American University of Sharjah, Al Qasimia University and Skyline University College in the presence of Hana Saif Al Suwaidi, EPAA Chairperson, members of the jury, participants in the award, representatives of eleven cooperative and supporter government entities includes the Ministry of Education, Sharjah Education Council, Sharjah Water & Electricity Authority, Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services, Sharjah Broadcasting Authority and the academic Authority from Sharjah University City, in addition to the directors of other government entities  from environmentalists, experts in environmental preservation and conservation, and students.

The awards ceremony was attended by representatives from the schools and universities that competed for the award. Categories included designing a solution to an actual environmental problem, applied scientific research, evaluative scientific research, producing a short film about global warming and climate change, and green campus.

At the ceremony, each winner received the Sharjah Sustainability Award, a Certificate of Excellence and a cash prize. Cooperating institutions and organisations received certificates of appreciation and SSA trophies. Members of the SSA jury received certificates of appreciation.

Alkhalil Bin Ahmed School participated in the award in the in the category of the award-winning innovation for the Khiro land device, which contributes to the conservation of energy sources. Also the Indian School in Sharjah introduced a wheelchair working with a solar-powered controller placed by the motor disabled on the head to help them move easily and smoothly in all directions, and a number of innovative scientific researches involving university students, and the field of creative writing of the short story in both Arabic and English, which targeted school students. The number of winners of the award from the schools was 40 winners and winners in various categories and fields of the award and 20 winners of university students.