Qatar Shell partnered with College of the North Atlantic - Qatar (CNA-Q) to offer a "first-of-its-kind" summer camp to engage high school students in applied, technical education within STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics)fields.
The camp was part of the Maharat Qatar programme sponsored by Qatar Shell and supported by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education.
Named STEM CampUS, the camp achieved its goal of engaging pre-college students in technical, hands-on education in fields aligned with Qatar’s economic diversification strategy, according to a press statement. It was held on the CNA-Q campus from July 22 to August 2.
About 150 applicants competed for a limited number of openings through a rigourous selection process. The camp commenced with 26 female and 17 male participants, aged 13 to 17 years, from 27 private and independent high schools, representing 12 nationalities.
“Advocating for applied and technology-based education for youth in Qatar is a mission that Qatar Shell and CNA-Q share,” said Samah Gamar, vice-president (academic) at CNA-Q. “We believe students who learn by performing applied, real-life tasks in technology-rich environments are some of Qatar’s future innovators who will help move communities and businesses forward sustainably.”
“It has been a truly enriching experience to see such a diverse group of students become inspired by STEM subjects during the summer camp. Our goal is to contribute to Qatar’s journey towards economic diversification, culminating in the realisation of Qatar National Vision 2030 and the National Development Strategy,” Farah al-Maadeed, social investment manager at Qatar Shell, added.
During the camp, students learned about air and water quality and its importance in the health of employees and the public. They also became acquainted with the three-phase separation processes used within the oil and gas industry by sitting at the helm of CNA-Q’s Simulation Control Room. Students delved into connectivity of computer hardware to understand networking, and dabbled in software development for Android.
During the second week, students participated in Shell’s global NXplorer programme, an innovative and educational programme for students focused on the food-water-energy stress nexus.
The camp concluded with a showcase and awards ceremony where groups of students delivered short presentations that reflected the skills they developed over the two weeks.