A total of 144 students from 21 countries and from 37 public and private schools graduate, successfully completed the Youth Leadership Network organised by NYU Abu Dhabi’s (NYUAD) Community Outreach.
The program aims to help motivated students gain technical and soft skills to engage, grow, and lead through weekly workshops.
The program this year consisted of five workshops. The Network included 36 NYUAD student facilitators who worked in smaller groups with 160 school-aged participants.
This year, the focus was on cultural preservation. The workshop started on October 30 and concluded on November 26.
Sheikha Alyazia Bint Nahyan, Arab Culture Ambassador for the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO), Sheikh Mubarak bin Nahyan and Ayisha Khansaheb, Curatorial and Programme Head at Qasr Al Hosn and Historic Sites, joined NYUAD Vice Chancellor Mariët Westermann to congratulate the graduating students.
“Youth positive engagement with culture is one of our main objectives in the Arab Cultural Ambassadorship. Attending the final presentations, it is evident that the participants were creative in their contributions and problem-solving skills. We hope that these creative ideas presented will develop a lasting connection between the youth and the cultural sites they engaged with, and the professionals at NYUAD for many years to come,” said Sheikha Alyazia Bint Nahyan.
“This programme is modelled on our highly popular programme known as the Girls’ and Boys’ Education network, designed by NYUAD students in 2014 and 2016, respectively. Up to 2020, this programme engaged more than 800 middle and high school youth as participants and over 200 NYUAD students as facilitators,” said Mariët Westermann.
Participating students were tasked with developing innovative solutions to increase interest engagement with cultural heritage by using Qasr Al Hosn, the country’s historic fort, as a case study.
The Youth Leadership Network functions on a peer-to-peer workshop model, addressing practices such as self-awareness, critical thinking, habit-building, teamwork, and project learning. NYUAD students serve as mentors to create an inclusive, supportive space that enables dialogue and growth, contributing to greater confidence and self-esteem.
© Khaleej Times
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