Children learn about eco-friendly energy sources at SCRF 2025

The 16th Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival is a powerhouse of not just books and reading sessions but also science workshops and artistic activities. A highlight among the workshops was “Power the Future” workshop where children received basic lessons in sustainable living using renewable energy.

Trainers from the UAE-based Nomad Workshops helped children discover how renewable energy technologies work by building small scale solar panels, wind turbines and other green energy solutions.

One of the trainers briefed them about sustainable energy and the engineering behind it. He showed them a diagram of a solar energy harvesting process for a happy house.

“Why is the power stored in a battery? For use at night when the sun is away,” he explained.

He allowed them to segregate paper cuttings of good and bad energy sources into two separate glass bowls before getting into the actual task of building a solar-powered house.

The children, mostly in the 8 to 12 age group, then divided themselves into small teams to work on a power source they liked.

They set about building a house using a 3D wooden puzzle kit while some others chose a bright plastic DIY house kit that also used stored solar energy; the detailed instructions sheet made their job easy.

Each block fit in perfectly, and the trainers helped in attaching the small battery to charge the fan outside the wooden hut.

According to trainer Serge Gemayel, the activity will help children get familiar with alternative energy sources from sun, wind and water.

“In this workshop, kids will first see the difference between good and bad energy. Then they will build small house models that are lit by solar panels. They will understand that for the world to move forward, it will need to depend on sustainable energy.”

Taking place from April 23 to May 4 at Expo Centre Sharjah, the 16th edition of SCRF promises an immersive experience under the theme “Dive into Books”. This year’s agenda will feature 133 guests from 70 countries, and 122 Arab and international publishing houses from 22 nations.

British writer on the science behind teenage behaviour

Why do teenagers act the way they do? And why does parenting them or even understanding them feel like trying to solve a complex riddle? At the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (SCRF) on Sunday, British author and international speaker Nicola Morgan, often dubbed as ‘The Teenage Brain Woman’, offered clear, science-backed answers during her session “Unlocking the Teenage Mind”.

Morgan dove into the fascinating biology behind adolescent behaviour, blending neuroscience with relatable examples to help parents, educators, and young people themselves navigate the emotional rollercoaster of growing up.

“Adolescence is a journey of separation,” Morgan explained. “That’s because the child who once relied completely on a parent must grow towards independence – and the teenage brain is biologically prepared to disagree, push back, and find its own way.”

“Another crucial aspect is that teenagers conform more to their group of friends than to their families, because unlike the unconditional love they feel at home, friendships seem fragile. They fear rejection, which fuels peer pressure and the need to fit in, to conform,” added the author known for bestsellers like Be Resilient (2021) and No Worries – How To Deal With Teenage Anxiety (2023).

Morgan went on to clarify that external factors like social media, peer pressure, and changing family dynamics shape teenage experiences differently today.

She also highlighted how at the heart of teenage turmoil lies a neurological imbalance between the limbic system (the brain’s emotional, impulsive centre) and the prefrontal cortex that’s responsible for rational thinking, impulse control, and judgement, which only matures fully in the early to mid-twenties.

“It’s not that teenagers are reckless on purpose – it’s that their limbic system shouts louder than their rational brain,” said Morgan. “When they choose the chocolate cake or make a risky decision, it’s because their brain’s reward centre tells them it will feel good — and that's much stronger than a quiet ‘I ought to’ coming from the rational side.”

Nicola clearly unpacks the differences between stress and anxiety, underlining why teenagers today face mental health challenges more acutely than ever before. Their still-developing brains and increased exposure to negative news and peer comparisons trigger stress and anxieties, she noted.