Sharjah Youth – a subsidiary of Rubu’ Qarn Foundation for Creating Leaders and Innovators – is engaging its members in a variety of activities, as part of its annual summer camp ‘Let’s Summer’, designed to  stimulate their creative spirit and further their abilities in sports, science, and other fields.

Around 120 participants from Sharjah Youth centres in Wasit, Al Dhaid, Khorfakkan and Kalba have signed up for the camp, scheduled to be rolled out in two phases; from July 8–18 followed by July 28 – August 8.

A variety of hands-on workshops are being conducted in six different tracks: science and technology, literature and language, entrepreneurship, sports, arts and life skills

The camp boasts a wide range of indoor and outdoor sports activities such as football, swimming, table tennis and billiards, to help the youth discover new interests and hone existing talents. A whole gamut of cultural workshops and entertainment events that can be enjoyed as a group are also being organised to instill community spirit and an appreciation of the arts in the young campers.

Fatima Mohammed Musharbek, Acting Director of Sharjah Youth, said: “Our summer camp is being held at Sharjah Youth centres across the emirate including Sharjah city, the Central and Eastern Regions to provide all our members the chance to discover their interests and hone their skills through a comprehensive selection of workshops and training courses.”

“This year, we coordinated with all entities that fall under Rubu’ Qarn Foundation’s umbrella to ensure all our summer camp activities are conducted in the same time period to ensure children of all age groups can benefit equally. This is in line with our mission to develop and invest in younger generations by capturing their varied interests and fulfilling their aspirations, in a safe, innovative and creative environment, in collaboration with local and international partners,” Musharbek added.

Musharbek pointed out that all eights Sharjah Youth centres will remain open throughout the summer camp for those who want to learn more about their regular activities and offerings for members.

From a ‘Collaborative Art’ workshop where young artists can work as a team on one art project, to the ‘Art of Painting’ workshop which will deal with acrylic and oil painting techniques, and another one on flower arrangement for young nature-lovers who will learn about floral variety and care, in addition to picking up the basics of floral design and arrangement – the Sharjah Youth summer camp truly has something for everyone.

Stage and media enthusiasts will learn the basics of performing arts, choreography, lighting and sound, at the ‘Theatre Arts’ workshop. Theatrical exercises to stimulate imagination and one-minute impromptu performances are also part of this exciting workshop. An introduction to cinematography, film critiquing, acting and direction will be taught at the ‘Cinema’ workshop, which will be delivered by expert media and film professionals.

For science and technology nerds, the ‘Drones’ workshop will introduce drone and aerodynamics technologies and programming; ‘Fun Chemistry’ will present the application of chemistry in daily life in fun and entertaining ways; whereas ‘Space Science’ will teach the basics of astronomy, and the science behind launching rockets into the space, their functioning, and more.

The ‘Environmental Awareness’ workshop will help young participants understand pressing global environmental challenges and encourage them to think of innovative solutions. A ‘Firefighting and Evacuation’ workshop will shed light on public safety procedures in case of a building fire. Participants will also learn how to use manual fire extinguishers properly.

Basics of traditional cooking and self-dependence arising from knowing one’s way around a kitchen – a quality that is going to help the youth excel in their professional and personal life – will be taught at the Cookery workshop.

Finally, the art of public speaking and TED Talk workshops are part of Sharjah Youth’s summer camp offerings too, to polish the youth’s articulation and public speaking skills, instil confidence in them, and make them comfortable in situations where they have to present opinions to a group and debate confidently. Part of the TED Talk workshop is a story-writing and telling activity, which participants will carry out before their peers. Their speaking skills will be evaluated by a group of specialists in the field.