FIFTY high school girls from Jeddah and Makkah participated in an innovation lab enrichment program organized and hosted by Effat University in Jeddah to engage students in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics (STEAM).

Held between Jan. 14-18, the five-day Innovation Lab enrichment program was designed to enhance STEAM skills and connect with future innovators among the high school students. The complete range of courses consisted of Cryptography, Drama and Theater, Emotional Intelligence, Engineer Your Energy, English is Fun, Play and Create Games, Robotics, Creative Arts, Cinematic Arts, Photography, and Physics in Everyday Life.

"As a proactive member of the Kingdom's academic community, we were delighted to welcome students from Jeddah and Makkah high schools to participate in this program to encourage and develop their interest in subjects that are not usually covered by their school curricula," said Dr. Haifa Jamal Al-Lail, president of Effat University. "With such a variety of topics, the program gave the participants a unique opportunity to show their creativity and apply innovative thinking to their selected subjects," she said.

Among the various activities that were offered to the STEAM Innovation Lab students, a Recycled Arts & Crafts competition was organized to encourage them to design art projects using recycled items. The winning project was called "Puppet House" and included both art objects and energy concepts learned during the Engineer Your Energy class. The winning team was awarded at the program's closing ceremony on Jan. 18.

The members of the winning team were Dania Rawsam Al-Hanafi and Malak Rawsam Al-Hanafi, both from Manarat Jeddah International School, Lena Bokhari from Dar Al-Rowad School, and Yasmeen Tabbakh from Zahrat Al-Sahraa School.

Effat University was established in 1999 as a nonprofit educational institute to offer higher education for girls in Saudi Arabia. The university has become a distinguished and accredited center for scientific research in the Kingdom, with researchers in different fields contributing to building a knowledge-based economy that will add value to the future development of the country. — SG