Third Annual Qatar e-Nature Schools Competition Announced
Sasol, Ministry of Education and Higher Education and Friends of the Environment Centre announce Qatar e-Nature Schools Contest 2016
Doha, Qatar – Evolving in its third year, the Qatar e-Nature Schools Contest, organized by Sasol and Friends of the Environment Centre (FEC) and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, will take an exciting new direction. Students will be able to compete in a live quiz show-style competition that will crown champions and a winning school. The competition is based on the information provided in the Qatar e-Nature smartphone application and website, in order to increase awareness about the diversity of Qatar’s natural habitat. Today’s announcement was made during a session with teachers at the Friends of the Environment Centre Green Tent in Doha.
The 2016 competition will introduce the new element of a real-time quiz contest in front of a live audience, in which teams answer questions in order to gain points. Winning teams in the early rounds will go on to compete in the finals which will take place in May. New questions added to this year’s contest, which include the newly added nature reserves of Qatar, in addition to the birds, insects, mammals, reptiles and flora categories. Moreover, the Qatar e-Nature application and website have been redesigned, making it more user-friendly and exciting for the participants use.
Commenting on the launch, Rima Abu Khadija, Director, Office of Curricula Standards at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, said: “The Ministry of Education and Higher Education is pleased to again join Sasol and Friends of the Environment Centre on the Qatar e-Nature schools contest. Qatar is the leading Gulf country in the field of education, and also committed to the preservation of natural habitat and the environment. The Qatar e-Nature live quiz contest will allow students to actively learn about Qatar’s beautiful and diverse wildlife; furthermore, it will be the perfect platform that will challenge our young participants to showcase their abilities and further enhance their skills and knowledge.”
In remarks at the event to announce the live contest, Mr. Frahood Al Hajiri, Director, Friends of the Environment Centre said: “The Friends of the Environment Centre is proud to continue its successful partnership with Sasol to bring the Qatar e-Nature application and website to the students of Qatar, we look forward to see students in action as part of the new direction that the Qatar e-Nature schools contest is taking this year. Moreover, with the support of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Qatar e-Nature, has managed to further elevate the awareness about the different aspects of Qatar’s rich nature. We wish all of the prospective participants the best of luck in this year’s edition of the annual contest.”
Within a short time, the application has won a number of prestigious accolades in Qatar and around the region with the support of Dr. Saif Al Hajari, Head of A Flower Each Spring, one of the originators of the concept of Qatar e-Nature, whom in his role has enriched the application with various information about the diversity of wildlife in Qatar.
Phinda Vilakazi, President of Sasol GTL Ventures, said: “Over the past two years, the Qatar e-Nature Schools Contest has been organized with the support of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, engaging over 350 schools and 250,000 students across Qatar. This year we decided to adopt a new approach that will bring Qatar e-Nature, the digital application, to life in a unique and interactive setting. Sasol believes in the abilities and power of the young generation; moreover, this initiative will be reflecting on the Qatar National Vision 2030 for an environmentally aware population and raising awareness about the environment through effective mediums of communication. We look forward to seeing how the schools and prospective participants will perform.”
The Qatar e-Nature live quiz contest will be held across all primary schools in Qatar. Teams of three will be formed from each school; the teams will have one student from years 4, 5 and 6 representing their respective school. Communication with all primary schools and teams selection process began earlier this month and will continue through 31 March. The live rounds will take place during the month of April and the Finals and award ceremony will occur in May, where the winners will be recognized.
Launched in December 2013, the Qatar e-Nature application and website highlights flora, birds, insects, mammals, reptiles, nature reserves and soon marine life in the country. Sasol created the app as part of its corporate social responsibility programme in partnership with Friends of the Environment Centre. The app, which recently underwent a complete redesign, features content in Arabic and English, aims to support the objectives of Qatar National Vision 2030 to promote sustainable development by contributing towards an environmentally aware population. The Qatar e-Nature app has received three accolades in 2015, including two prestigious regional awards.
The user-friendly Qatar e-Nature app is available for download free of charge on Apple App Store, Google Play store for Android, Windows Phone Store and on the website (www.enature.qa) which is also available for desktop access. Active Facebook, Twitter and Instagram channels allow users to keep tabs on the latest developments. The application and website is updated regularly, having added nature reserves earlier this year to further benefit users of the application.
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