Dubai Cares, part of Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, is hosting another edition of its Summer Literacy Camp between the 7^th of July and the 8^th of August 2019. The 5-days-a-week summer camp is taking place at Uptown School in Mirdif, in partnership with Rawafed Development and Learning Centre in Dubai, and is set to give 200 children aged 6 to 12 an opportunity to enjoy recreational activities, learn new skills and have fun with their peers, setting for them a strong foundation they can rely on to move forward. The initiative was officially kicked off today by Dr. Tariq Al Gurg, Chief Executive Officer at Dubai Cares and Ahmed Abdul Karim Mohammed Julfar, Director General of the Dubai Community Development Authority (CDA) with the participation of volunteers who will contribute in various capacities throughout the initiative.

The Summer Literacy Camp follows the Learning through Play methodology. It focuses on improving the children’s literacy skills in English and Arabic, and teaching concepts of Math in an interactive and engaging way. It will also include reading classes along with arts and crafts sessions meant to strengthen problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. In addition, a weekly edutainment trip will be organized to ignite curiosity and discovery. And to make sure no child is left behind, an activity called “Help Me Read” will help specifically identify children who struggle the most and allow them to have individualized attention.

Commenting on this large-scale volunteering initiative, Dr. Tariq Al Gurg, Chief Executive Officer at Dubai Cares said: “Capitalizing on last year’s successful Summer Camp, we are proud to launch our new edition for an extended period of five weeks. Academic performance can be greatly impacted by the environment outside school and many low-income families cannot afford to keep their children engaged during this time of the year, which can have consequences on their behaviour and social outlook. This is why we feel strongly about helping children within our community who require support in literacy and numeracy. Our Summer Literacy Camp is firmly set to channel the energy and goodwill of our UAE-based volunteers to offer these children a chance to improve their confidence and skills as well as boost their happiness, so they can retain a positive spirit that will set the foundation for their academic success. We are very excited about this launch and once again call upon the UAE community to continue to support and participate in our initiatives.”

Ahmed Abdul Karim Mohammed Julfar, Director General of the Dubai Community Development Authority (CDA) said: “We appreciate Dubai Cares’ efforts to support and develop the capacities of children from less fortunate families, and to give them the opportunity to participate in enjoyable and educational activities that develop their capabilities and fill their spare time in a useful way. We are pleased to cooperate with Dubai Cares and provide volunteers from the Dubai Community Volunteer Program to contribute to the successful organization of this camp and to give children the greatest possible benefit through individual care according to their levels and needs.”

Shadia Abdullah Al Jaberi, Director, Rawafed Development & Learning Centre said: “We are grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the lives of these children who would have otherwise missed their window of learning opportunities. Rawafed’s aim is to wipe out illiteracy in the Arab world and it is with great honour that we got to partner up with Dubai cares to provide these services to those in need in our community.”

More Details on Dubai Cares’ community engagement initiatives on Social Media Channels

Full details on the Summer Literacy Camp can be found on the Dubai Cares website and social media platforms. To stay informed about future community engagement initiatives, please visit the ‘Get Involved’ page on www.dubaicares.ae or follow/like Dubai Cares on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.