The Aldar Academies private school hosted an exclusive TEDx event to explore some of today’s most compelling topics
How will today’s teenagers shape our future? This question was answered today by students of Aldar Academies Al Yasmina Academy, who hosted an exclusive TEDx event to share their unique perspective on the world.
Demonstrating that our future is in capable hands, thirteen secondary school students from the Abu Dhabi-based private school, part of the Aldar Academies network, took to the stage to enlighten an audience of over 100 special guests and members of the media.
Tackling a variety of timely, thought provoking topics, the talks explored subjects including the impact of the media on human compassion, how we can tackle personal confusion, and why music is a language. Students of the English National Curriculum academy also explored the importance of artistic creation in modern culture, a positive approach to chaos theory, and how to sell ourselves to succeed in life, among other topics.
Not only a global platform for sharing ideas, the TEDx event provided a valuable opportunity for Al Yasmina Academy students to demonstrate their skills in critical analysis, while encouraging them to think independently. To build on the success of the event, Aldar Academies now plans to host an annual TEDx talk involving students from across its seven academies. The academy-wide TEDx event will form part of the organisation’s Academy of Excellence initiative, which helps more high-achieving students reach the prestigious Ivy League and ‘Oxbridge’ universities.
“Today’s event provided our students with an important lesson in individual thinking and the need to question the world around us – two skills that will be hugely valuable in their professional lives” commented Dr. Tim Hughes, Al Yasmina Academy Principal.
“Developing these skills is a priority for Aldar Academies and something we’ve shaped our curriculum around, but students also need to make their voices heard. TEDx provides this platform on a global scale,” he added.
Held at Al Forsan International Sports Resort, the event followed the theme ‘There is more to us than meets the eye’. The theme was chosen to highlight why, thanks to their progressive education, students should not be underestimated, because they’re capable of affecting real change in the world today and not just in the future.
“I often feel there’s a misconception around what students are capable of, which is exactly what we wanted to challenge through the TEDx event,” said Yara Fawares, Al Yasmina Academy student and event organizer. “I see our age and education as two extremely influential assets to have, because as the next generation, they empower us to interpret and shape the world in a unique way” she added.
TEDx is a program of local, independently-organized discussions based on the worldwide TED conferences. As a global platform for sharing ideas and personal development, the TEDx event complements Aldar Academies’ purpose and promise perfectly.
Across its network of seven leading private schools, the organization strives to empower the next generation to shape our future by delivering the highest standards of education and inspiring a love of learning.
