Sasol, Ministry of Education and Higher Education and Friends of the Environment Centre Celebrate Winners of the Qatar e-Nature Schools Contest 2016
Doha, Qatar – Under the patronage of HE Dr. Mohammed Abdul Wahed Al Hammadi, Minister of Education and Higher Education, Sasol, the international integrated chemicals and energy company, The Ministry of Education and Higher Education and Friends of the Environment Centre (FEC) concluded the 2016 Qatar e-Nature Schools Contest with the final live round and awards ceremony at the City Centre Rotana Hotel in Doha. HE Dr. Al Hammadi was represented by Fawzia Abdulaziz al-Khater, Director of the Education Institute at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education.
Nearly 200 students representing 60 private and independent schools from across Qatar participated in the third edition of the schools contest. This year the contest introduced the exciting new element of a real-time quiz contest in front of a live audience, in which teams answered questions in order to gain points. High profile guests, students, teachers, parents and media were in attendance at the event.
Abu Hanifa Model Independent School for Boys won the Qatar e-Nature Schools Contest 2016.
The four final schools vying for the title made their way through two difficult rounds of competition to earn their place on stage: Abu Hanifa Model Independent School for Boys, Al Khansaa Primary Independent School for Girls, Birla Public School and Newton International School – Lagoon. The questions posed to the students during the competition were based on the Qatar e-Nature application – a first of its kind smartphone application that highlights the rich diversity of Qatar’s environment.
The team of three students of the winning school Abu Hanifa Model Independent School received each a voucher worth 4,000 Qatari Riyals and a gold medal in recognition of their excellence. In addition, Al Khansaa Primary Independent School for Girls was second runner up school and each of the team received a voucher worth 3,000 Qatari Riyals and a certificate of achievement. The third and fourth place students received each vouchers worth 2,000 and 1,000 Qatari Riyals respectively. In addition, the four winning schools were presented with a Qatar e-Nature award.
Fawzia Abdulaziz Al-Khater, Director of the Education Institute, said, “Promoting environmental awareness among Qatari students is among the educational goals for the Ministry of Education and Higher Education. We welcome all initiatives aimed at realising this important objective, such as the Qatar e-Nature schools contest. We are glad to continue our partnership with Sasol and the Friends of the Environment Centre in this schools competition, which will definitely enlighten our students about the beautiful and diverse nature of Qatar and the need to protect it. The contest was undoubtedly a challenge for the students which developed their abilities, skills, and expertise.”
A documentary about the Qatar e-Nature initiative and contest was presented during the awards ceremony. The video highlighted the most memorable moments throughout the competition in its current and previous years and also included testimonials from some of the participating schools. The award ceremony was also marked by two student performances – by students from Abi Hanifa Model Independent School for Boys and Maymouna Primary Independent School for Girls.
Phinda Vilakazi, President of GTL Ventures at Sasol, said, “We at Sasol are impressed with the phenomenal talent and abilities that were showcased throughout the competition by our young participants. The Qatar e-Nature schools competition aims to contribute to the Qatar National Vision 2030. Thanks to our partners the Ministry of Education and Higher Education and Friends of the Environment Centre and congratulations to all of the winners and participating teams, whom truly represented their schools well through their diligence, team work and commitment.”
The Qatar e-Nature schools competition is organized by Sasol, The Ministry of Education and Higher Education and Friends of the Environment Centre. This contest allows students to actively learn about the Qatar’s beautiful and diverse wildlife. Over the past three years, the Qatar e-Nature Schools Contest has engaged over 350 schools and 250,000 students across Qatar.
Launched in December 2013, the Qatar e-Nature application and website highlights flora, birds, insects, mammals, reptiles, nature reserves and soon marine life in the country. Sasol created the app as part of its corporate social responsibility programme in partnership with Friends of the Environment Centre. The app, which recently underwent a complete redesign, features content in Arabic and English, aims to support the objectives of Qatar National Vision 2030 to promote sustainable development by contributing towards an environmentally aware population. Within a short time, the Qatar e-Nature app has won a number of prestigious accolades in Qatar and around the region.
The user-friendly Qatar e-Nature app is available for download free of charge on Apple App Store, Google Play store for Android, Windows Phone Store and on the website (www.enature.qa) which is also available for desktop access. Active Facebook, Twitter and Instagram channels allow users to keep tabs on the latest developments. The application and website is updated regularly, having added nature reserves earlier this year to further benefit users of the application.