This summer, the Sharjah Old Cars Club (SOCC) is set to welcome the youth aged 9-18 years to its annual Summer Camp, themed “Discover History through my Journey”. The four-week camp will be held from 1-25 July 2024, comprising two programmes, ‘The Outstanding Guide’ which targets children aged 9-12 years is set to run from 1-11 July, while ‘The Young Mechanic’ is aimed at young adults aged 13-18 years will be held from 15-25 July. The Summer Camp features workshops, cultural competitions, incentive prizes, and sports activities powered by the Sharjah Classic Cars Museum.

The Summer Camp is part of the summer activities programmes by the Sharjah Sports Council (SSC). Throughout the summer camp , the SOCC aims to inspire children and young adults by instilling a love of discovery and learning in them. The camp is designed to develop children’s mechanical engineering skills, and enhance tour guide capabilities among young adults. It also seeks to foster knowledge and innovation in them, which makes it an inclusive educational event that harnesses edutainment to build a conscious and creative generation.

H.E. Dr. Mohammed bin Butti Al Hajri, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sharjah Old Cars Club said: “Cars constitute a marvellous world that attracts children’s and young adults’ attention from an early age. At SOCC, we seek to harness this passion for the world of old cars to develop their scientific and practical skill sets. We believe that the skills they will gain throughout the summer camp will not only add to their academic paths in engineering fields, but also enable them to develop a profound understanding of technology and innovation.”

“We encourage the youth to embrace practical learning, whether through working in workshops to understand the details of vehicles, or by exploring professional opportunities in this dynamic field. Through curating our activities we seek to further their capabilities, and inspire them to innovate and be creative, as well as play an indispensable role in the future of the automobile industry and engineering in the UAE,” he added.

The Outstanding Guide.. New generation of tourism experts

The Outstanding Guide programme welcomes children from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm, offering the participants a hands-on opportunity to understand the tour guide profession and the basic guiding behaviour and practices. The programme is structured around the consolidation of the necessary characteristics of the outstanding guide, which contributes to budding a new generation of young guides equipped with the needed skills and expertise to play their effective role in society, and gain historical and technical information about old cars.

The Young Mechanic

The Young Mechanic programme equips young adults with the practical opportunity to acquire technical and substantive skill sets in the Sharjah Classic Cars Museum workshop. Participants will learn the basics of maintenance operations through engaging with supervisors from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. The programme also features workshops and educational activities on safety and security requirements, which deepens their practical understanding and develops their skills in an interactive and stimulating way.

Workshops and edutainment activities

During the Summer Camp, the Sharjah Classic Cars Museum will organise a spectrum of workshops and hands-on activities, including the Radio workshop, in which participants will assemble the key parts of a radio including the battery and electronic parts utilising a special kit. Moreover, the Skills and Innovators workshop will educate the participants on the parts of the car engine and the tools that are used in disassembling and assembling the parts and repairing malfunctions.

As far as education is concerned, the Sharjah Classic Cars Museum will organise a variety of educational workshops, such as the ‘National Identity’ workshop in collaboration with the Watani Al Emarat Foundation, and the ‘Assist To Reduce Traffic Accident’ workshop, which offers tips and guidelines on safety for bicycles and electric bikes.