Students from more than 1,200 schools across the UAE have the chance to build on their creative thinking and innovation skills by sketching ideas that could positively impact society as part of the newly launched Expo 2020 Young Innovators initiative.

Building on the notion that innovation can start from a simple design or scribbled plan on a napkin or random scrap of paper, the Expo School Programme is inviting students to find creative solutions to everyday challenges. These ideas will be developed alongside their teachers within their classrooms.

Each student’s idea will be shown to the world through a dedicated webpage on the official Expo School Programme website. The most innovative entries will be developed into prototypes and will be showcased at the Expo Visitor Centre, as part of a commitment to place youth at the centre of the next World Expo.

Alya Al Ali, Director of Expo School Programme, Legacy Development and Impact, Expo 2020 Dubai, said, “The Expo School Programme has already welcomed more than 4,000 school students from across the UAE to our Visitor Centre where we have seen their creativity first hand.

“The Expo 2020 Young Innovators initiative will build on that, offering a fun and inclusive platform for our youth to showcase their talents, and inspire them to develop innovative solutions that can have a positive impact on their communities and the world.”

Some well known innovations have started life as sketches on a napkin, such as the Nobel prize-winning magnetic resonance imaging, MRI, scanner, the font used on most credit cards, and one of the first portable computers.

Teachers are invited to enrol their students to the Expo 2020 Young Innovators initiative between 4th March and 13rd April.

Teachers will also mentor students throughout the innovation process, as well as select and support the best ideas. They can download the Expo 2020 Innovation Toolkit after registering on the link on the website. They will then be able to work with students to develop their creative ideas, while contributing to their broader learning objectives.

Each school will select one student or group entry for each grade level: kindergarten, primary, middle and high school. The shortlisted entries will then be developed by the students in collaboration with industry experts and Expo 2020. Each school will have at least one student innovation showcased at the Expo 2020 Visitor Centre, plus the opportunity to be demonstrated to millions of visitors and participants from across the globe at Expo 2020.

The Expo School Programme is dedicated to engaging with the UAE school community and ensuring that exciting experiences are developed for students to enjoy in the lead-up to and during the six months of Expo 2020. The programme creates initiatives and resources that enable schools to explore the World Expo in a fun, informative and engaging way.

Expo 2020 Dubai expects to welcome 25 million visits between 20th October 2020 and 10th April 2021. Approximately 70 percent of visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 168-year history of World Expos.