The summer academy was a step towards enriching the youth with life skills.

Jamil Khan, Senior Reporter

As many as 65 students from different academies who participated in the Pakistan Youth Forum (PYF) Summer Academy have received appreciation certificates at a ceremony held in the Pakistan Association Dubai.

The summer academy hosted by the PYF for schools held seven workshops during July and August.

PYF is the youth arm of PAD and works with the community youth in education, health and youth empowerment. The workshops were an effort to instil twenty-first century skills in the youth to give them an overview of subjects beyond their regular curriculum.

Addressing the students and parents, Nissmah Atif, chairperson of PYF said, “The objective of the summer academy was to introduce new subjects to students and encourage them to explore their inner strengths in an unconventional manner.

“It is amazing to see the students so committed throughout and not missing out on a single workshop which gives us a sense of satisfaction also,” added Atif.

The students were recognised with certificates for completing the summer academy and were also categorised from the most committed to most punctual to the most improved ones.    

Critical thinking, public speaking, programming, archi-venture, drama, theatre, and sustainability were amongst the workshops organised by PYF. They were held on Saturday mornings throughout July and August at Niaz Muslim Library at PAD. These workshops were led by young professionals of PYF in collaboration with experts from the industry. Students of the community from grade eight to twelve enrolled in these workshops.

Dr Faisal Ikram, President, Pakistan Association Dubai, said, “Pakistan Youth Forum is a vibrant platform providing innovative activities to empower the leaders of tomorrow. The summer academy was a step towards enriching the youth with life skills and polishing their talent through focused workshops designed by the PYF team. PAD is proud to have such a dedicated team of young leaders,” he added.

Former CEO of health policy and strategy sector at Dubai Health Authority Laila Al Jassmi was a guest speaker who urged the students and parents to keep participating in such initiatives. “Extra-curricular activities play an integral role in socially uplifting the youth and arm them with multiple skills which will help them in future,” she said.

The workshops gave hands-on training to students in setting up business ideas, becoming entrepreneurs, focusing on creativity and innovation, understanding climate change and how to deal with it, and a number of interesting modules.

Muhammad Junaid, who overlooks the education committee at PYF, said, “We would continue to design innovative ways of learning for the youngsters so they have the confidence to choose a career path they are passionate about.

“The summer academy was one such initiative that will mould the students of today into leaders of tomorrow and in our upcoming initiatives these students would volunteer their skills,” asserted Junaid.

The students also got a chance to interact with industry experts through these workshops who came to deliver guest lectures. The Pakistan Youth Forum partnered with several organisations to upscale their workshops and give more exposure to the school students.

Recently, following the footsteps of the UAE government which has proved to be an excellent model for women’s empowerment, the Pakistan Association Dubai (PAD) set up a Ladies Forum to empower women of the society by discovering their hidden talents, honing their skills and helping them overcome struggles.

Talking to Gulf Today, Sadaf Ather, Vice President, PAD Ladies Forum, shed light on the establishing of the forum recently and its role in bringing Pakistani women, especially housewives and professionals, on a platform to work together.

“Ladies Forum is another innovative initiative of PAD and it is a gathering of genius minds to contribute and give back to the community. Like several wings of Pakistan Association Dubai, Ladies Forum also aims for the development of the community, focusing upon the betterment of the women personally and professionally,” she said.