Digging up fossils, travelling back in time to a pre-historic age, and cooking up ‘edible science’ dishes were just some of the exciting activities enjoyed by young participants at the ‘Summer of Learning’ programme of Qatar Foundation (QF).
The fun-filled sessions were held at the Education City Club House from 12 to 15 August, as part of QF’s efforts to offer young members of the community an engaging, educational, and entertaining way of spending their summer holidays.
The theme for this year’s programme, open to children between the ages of four and 12 years old, revolved around a variety of experiential activities based on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), organised for different abilities and aptitude. The sessions introduced participants to science through tasks such as cooking, circuit-building, and architecture-based designing.
According to QF supervisor Khalid M Zaghmout, this year’s exciting array of Summer of Learning events reflect their commitment to fostering a socially-engaged and responsive society.
Each year, this programme offers innovative ways for members of the wider community in Qatar to enhance mental and physical well-being. Children who attended the sessions were able to pick up science-based skills in an environment that encouraged curiosity and interactive learning.’
Over 30 students signed up for the QF Summer of Learning camp this year. Popular sessions such as ‘Dino Daze’ and ‘Edible Science’ allow children to try their hands at making their own fossils, modelling putty into designs, and conducting basic chemistry experiments.
One parent, Maha Yafie, said she heard about QF’s educational programmes for the community, and wanted her children to learn about science in a more ‘interactive’ manner. She said the programmes were perfectly suited for her children’s age groups, helping them make the most of their summer holidays with activities that allow them to learn something exciting every afternoon.
Another parent, Antony D’Souza, who had to make a round trip of almost 40 km every afternoon to bring his two children to the camp, said the programme made the journey worthwhile, calling it an example of an out-of-the-box thinking.
My son learns about electricity in his class at school, but mostly from a book. At Summer of Learning, circuits and batteries were laid out for him to observe, and at the end of the session he couldn’t stop talking about it.’
The third edition of the Summer of Learning camp was one of the many student-focused QF initiatives held across Education City over the summer months. The full range of events, aimed at young participants, included learning opportunities for primary and middle school students. Highschool students meanwhile, get to learn how life is like in a university through a range of programmes with QF partner universities.
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