Young visitors to SCRF enjoy a creative environmental lesson

Sharjah24: An enchanting story of courage and deception captured the imagination of young visitors to the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (SCRF 2024) on Wednesday evening. An engaging storytelling session that followed a Houbara bustard and her ingenious strategy to protect her chicks from a fox by pretending to have a broken wing not only entertained but also taught the young listeners valuable lessons about conservation and survival taught.

The session titled ‘Tales of the Houbara Bustard’ was a joint effort between the UAE Ministry of Education and the International Fund for Houbara Conservation, UAE. This event will be held at SCRF’s Readers Lounge, taking place at Expo Center Sharjah until May 12, and is part of more than 1,500 cultural, artistic and recreational activities planned for this edition of the festival.

Led by Mohammed Juma Al Dahmani, a curriculum officer from the UAE Ministry of Education, the session aimed to raise awareness among children about the crucial need to conserve the endangered Houbara species and to enhance students’ understanding of environmental issues to broaden through interactive stories.

In a strategic initiative to introduce the crucial topics of environmental conservation and conservation of natural and wild species to young students in the UAE, the Ministry has introduced interesting stories like these as supplementary materials for social studies and national education books, making them part of school education in the country.

This effort underscores a broader national commitment to educating students about the importance of protecting endangered species and supports the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) No. 4: Education.

The 15th annual SCRF 2024, organized by the Sharjah Book Authority, continues until May 12 at the Expo Center Sharjah. The 12-day festival promises a plethora of activities for kids of all ages, including workshops, live cooking shows, panel discussions and more.