EPAA honours 12 winning schools in an initiative

The ceremony, held Wednesday morning, , in the Islamic Botanical Garden at the Desert Park in Sharjah representatives from educational institutions and educational supporters of the initiative, along with a group of students and members of the teaching and administrative staff from participating schools.

Enhancing school creativity in the environmental field

The ceremony began with the playing of the national anthem of the United Arab Emirates, followed by precious verses from the Holy Quran, after which Her Excellency Hana Saif Al Suwaidi, Chairperson of the EPAA, spoke. In her speech, she welcomed attendees, participants, and supporters, and appreciated the schools' dedication to continuing participation in the current session of the initiative and the joining of new schools, which reflects the high awareness among the school community members regarding the importance of preserving the environment, and its positive impact on the lives of community members and the conservation of nature's biodiversity and its components, and the collaboration to ensure its safety from harm and challenges that threaten it.

Her Excellency Hana Saif Al Suwaidi highlighted the EPAA's interest in achieving the community and awareness goals of the initiative on the level of students in public and private schools in the UAE, in cooperation with their school administrations and parents, and in promoting the culture of sustainability among them. She pointed out that the initiative succeeded in inspiring school creativity across various educational stages and developing an educational environment that encourages innovation and renewal in activities related to sustainability. This was evident through the growth, diversity, and richness of the school projects and activities that took place in the halls and yards of the participating schools during January and February 2024.

She explained that the EPAA pays great attention to celebrating the best and most innovative school programs and initiatives in the field of the environment and works on highlighting and disseminating them with the aim of development and benefiting from outstanding experiences and exchanging successful ideas. This reaffirms Sharjah's leading position as an Eco-tourism city and adds value to the UAE's efforts and its institutions in implementing the UAE's Green Development Strategy.

Her Excellency Hana Al Suwaidi concluded her speech by congratulating the students, teachers, and supervisors in the winning schools, which are considered shining models in the educational sector in the field of environmental conservation.

Sharjah Schools Top the List of Participants

During the closing ceremony agenda, attendees watched a visual presentation about the initiative, which saw a total of 190 schools from all educational levels participate. These schools were divided into 116 government schools and 74 private schools, with Sharjah schools topping the list of participants with a total of 95 government and private schools, representing 50% of the total participation. From Dubai, 37 schools participated, 21 schools from Ras Al Khaimah, 15 from Fujairah, 13 from Ajman, 7 from Umm Al Quwain, and two from Abu Dhabi.

Honoring Cooperating Institutions

At the end of the ceremony, Her Excellency Hana Al Suwaidi, Chairperson of the Environment and Protected Areas Authority in Sharjah honored the cooperating institutions, namely the Emirates Foundation for School Education, the Sharjah Private Education Authority, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority in Dubai.

Honoring 12 Government and Private Schools

The ceremony concluded with the announcement of the winning schools, which were awarded the initiative shield, a certificate of excellence, and the designated financial reward. In the Kindergarten stage, the first three places were won by Al Darari Kindergarten in Sharjah, Al Huda Kindergarten in Dubai, and Adhan Kindergarten in Ras Al Khaimah, respectively.

In the category of Basic Education (Cycle 1), the first three places were won by Zayed Educational Complex in Dibba Fujairah, Our Own English High School (Girls) in Sharjah, and Jumeirah Primary School in Dubai.

Milehah Primary School for girls, Cycle 1, 2, and 3 in Sharjah, topped the list of winners in the category of Basic Education (Cycle 2), while Umm Suqeim Primary School in Dubai came in second place, followed by Al Rams Primary School for boys, Cycle 2 in Ras Al Khaimah in third place.

In the Secondary Education category, Al Najah Secondary School for girls, Cycle 2 and 3 in Ras Al Khaimah obtained the first place, while Al Zuhour Private School in Sharjah ranked second, and the American Private School in Kalba came third.