ID :
368767
Tue, 05/26/2015 - 09:11
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'Qatar e-Nature' Schools Contest Concludes with Awards Ceremony

Doha, May 25 (QNA) - Under the patronage of HE Minister of Education and Higher Education and Secretary General of the Supreme Education Council (SEC) Dr Mohammed Abdul Wahed Al Hammadi, Friends of the Environment Centre (FEC), Sasol, the international integrated energy and chemical company, and the Supreme Education Council (SEC) marked the conclusion of the two and a half month Qatar e-Nature schools contest with an awards ceremony at the Hilton Doha Hotel where the grand prize is two tickets and an all-expense paid nature trip to South Africa, home to Sasols global headquarters. In addition, several trophies and the latest iPads and iPhones were awarded to students and schools for their outstanding participation during the competition. Rabiaa Bin Mohammed Al Kaabi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, attended the ceremony. Nasser Abdullah Ibrahim Hussein Ibrahim from Nasser Bin Abdulla Al-Attiya Independent Secondary School for Boys won the grand prize trip to South Africa. In addition, 13 winners from each of the age categories were in attendance on the evening to receive their awards. Five schools were recognized for their students high participation rates: Al Khansaa Primary Independent School for Girls, Abu Obaida Preparatory Independent School for Boys, Nasser Bin Abdulla Al-Attiya Independent Secondary School for Boys, The Next Generation School and Noble International School. The schools contest, in its second edition, was based on the Qatar e-Nature app - a first of its kind smartphone application that highlights the rich diversity of Qatars environment, including plants, birds, mammals, reptiles and insects. Sasol developed the application in collaboration with Friends of the Environment Centre, which features content in Arabic and English. It aims to support the objectives of Qatar National Vision 2030 by promoting sustainable development through an environmentally aware population. This year, the Supreme Education Council lent significant support, extending the reach of the contest to all schools in Qatar. Since the contest launched in February 2015, the Qatar e-Nature Schools Contest featured 15,000 participants from various Independent and Private schools, with more than 3,000 photo entries where students had the option to send a photo related to Nature in Qatar. A committee from Sasol, Friends of the Environment and professional photographers judged 3,000 entries for the accompanying photography competition. Three winners received their recognition awards on the evening as well. The schools contest was open to all students enrolled in schools in Qatar from grades 1 to 13. Students were encouraged to find the correct answers to questions about birds, insects, reptiles, mammals and plants by browsing through the app content. Rabiaa Bin Mohammed Al Kaabi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education said, "We are proud that we contributed to this innovative initiative and competition this year. The Qatar e-nature schools contest opens many educational opportunities for students to learn more about the environment in our beautiful country, Qatar. Congratulations to all of the winners and to Sasol and Friends of the Environment Centre for another successful year on this important initiative." Dr Saif Al-Hajari, Chairman of the Friends of the Environment Centre said, "We are pleased with the fantastic outcome of the second Qatar e-Nature schools contest and are happy to have been able to contribute towards the awareness of the beautiful nature of our country. Since its launch, the Qatar e-Nature app has quickly become one of the best resources to learn about Qatars nature in an interactive way. We congratulate all the winners of the contest and laud Sasol on its exceptional leadership on this lasting initiative." "Sasol's commitment to the environment is consistent with the responsibility we have toward the communities in which we operate. With the Qatar e-Nature schools contest, we are delighted that we have been able to contribute towards a better appreciation and awareness of nature in Qatar. We look forward to continue building on the application, to include the Marine Life category in the coming months," said Marjo Louw, President, Sasol Qatar. "Its a pleasure to see such excitement and interest among youth on the issue of the environment; were glad to contribute via the Qatar e-Nature application." Qatar e-Nature application has recently won two regional awards, "Smart Mobile Application Award" as part of the Smart Government Excellence Awards, during an awards ceremony in Kuwait, and "Best Mobile Government Service Award" in the environment category in the Arab Region during the Government Summit in the United Arab Emirates. Sasol will continue to build on the success of this innovative application. Sasols corporate social responsibility efforts in Qatar include a variety of social, educational, entrepreneurial and environmental initiatives. (QNA)

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