School visit numbers to Expo 2020 Dubai - the world’s best classroom — have hit 500,000, as students from public and private schools across the UAE make the most of the myriad educational opportunities available across the site.

As of 25 February, 532,794 students had visited the site through the Expo School Programme.

The Expo School Programme has been working closely with educational authorities across the UAE including the Emirates Schools Establishment (ESE), the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), the Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA) and the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) to ensure all students get the opportunity to visit Expo 2020 Dubai before it closes its doors on 31 March 2022.

Marjan Faraidooni, Chief Experience Officer, Expo 2020 Dubai, said, “It is exciting to see the high level of engagement from students. Through our Expo School Programme, we are offering a once-in-a-lifetime learning opportunity at Expo 2020 Dubai that better prepares our leaders of tomorrow for the demands of the 21st century in an inspiring and fun way.”

The Expo School Programme offers four immersive journeys, allowing students the chance to embark on educational tours through the site’s three vibrant Thematic Districts (Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability), as well as pavilions with experiences aligned with diverse school curricula in the UAE.

It also includes the Expo Young Stars programme, which offers the unique opportunity for students from across the UAE to showcase their talents to the world on the spectacular Al Wasl Plaza, where global music icons such as Alicia Keys and Coldplay have performed. A total of 23 schools and 1,320 students have already impressed audiences with their wonderful talents and more than 40 performances are scheduled to take place before the final week of Expo 2020 Dubai.

Through the Young Innovators Programme, exceptional individuals are nurtured to shape the future, making huge strides in the fields of science, technology, entrepreneurship and creativity to make the world a better place. After receiving more than 6,200 submissions from more than 10,000 students, the Expo School Programme selected 298 projects to exhibit in Terra - The Sustainability Pavilion for the entire six months of Expo 2020 Dubai. A total of 563 schools from around the UAE made submissions.

As part of the World Majlis programme, the Next Gen World Majlis received more than 1,500 applicants, and 77 students were shortlisted to participate in global conversations on subjects that matter to all of our futures.

Expo 2020 Dubai’s virtual visitation numbers have also reached 145 million, including more than three million virtual visits to the school journeys, and there have been 1.3 million visits to the Expo School Programme website. Here, Expo Adventures offers an interactive journey for those up to the age of nine, where children can play on their own devices and enjoy experiences filled with incredible facts, animated stories and exciting games.

The latest Expo podcasts, talks, audio guides and 360 virtual tours are available through Virtual Expo for older students, while the Expo 2020 Dubai mobile app, for ages 13 and above, features stunning augmented-reality visualisations and quests to stimulate learning.

Buoyed by global crowd-pleasers such as Coldplay at Al Wasl Plaza last week, Expo 2020 Dubai has already hit the 15 million total visit mark. And with many more headline-grabbing names still to be announced over the coming weeks, those numbers are set to accelerate further, organisers said.

The France Pavilion on Sunday unveiled Jean Paul Gaultier’s new and fully recyclable exhibition, as well as the opportunity to meet the personable prêt-à-porter and haute couture designer himself. Gaultier said, “In some cities, the architecture only works well at night because of the lights, but Dubai is beautiful both during the day and at night-time.”

‘Jean Paul Gaultier, from A to Z’, is more than just a retrospective; it is a journey across almost five decades that showcases his values of tolerance, humanity, inclusion and commitment. Open to Expo visitors until March 31, it will then be transported to Marseille, France.

WAM