Aldar Education, Abu Dhabi’s leading education provider has announced today its official partnership with the Special Olympics UAE in a MOU signing ceremony, which took place virtually between Sahar Cooper, CEO of Aldar Education and Talal Al Hashmi, National Director at Special Olympics UAE. The ceremony cemented Aldar Education’s commitment towards inclusion and a unified education for all.
The MOU highlights Aldar Education as Sole Education Partner in Abu Dhabi & Al Ain of Special Olympics UAE, collaborating on the development and implementation of enrichment programmes targeting the inclusion of People of Determination in the fields of technology and innovation. Aldar Education will be responsible for collaborating on inclusive community-wide technology events and awareness campaigns and creating vocational and leadership training opportunities for Special Olympic athletes.
The signing ceremony comes after the official launch of the Special Olympics UAE’s Unified Robotics programme, which is being rolled out across schools nationwide in November. The program utilises gamification to trigger interest in STEM and robotics and caters to two age groups, 8-11 years, and 12+ years.
Talal Al Hashemi, National Director of Special Olympics UAE spoke of the importance of promoting inclusion within schools, he said: “This collaboration will facilitate the implementation of the Unified Robotics program across schools in the UAE. And it also supports the design and roll out of activities that contribute directly to enriching the educational experiences of children of different abilities, creating meaningful integration inside and outside schools. And developing their capabilities in important fields such as STEM and robotics – all of which are future-proof specializations.”
“We would like to thank Aldar Education for its commitment to driving the inclusion agenda forward – it will help root the values of tolerance and inclusion within children from a young age, ensuring that together, we shape a generation that welcomes everyone.”
Sahar Cooper, CEO of Aldar Education, said: “We are honoured to be partnering with Special Olympics as their sole education partner in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. One of our core purposes at Aldar Education has always been to provide an inclusive, holistic education for all students, regardless of background or ability. It is wonderful to receive recognition from Special Olympics of this commitment.
We look forward to contributing our expertise and knowledge to support the provision of an inclusive, enjoyable, and impactful initiative for all.”
Special Olympics UAE’s Unified Robotics programme was organized for the first time outside the US in the UAE during November 2019. It attracted 200 participants from schools across the UAE, who worked in unified teams to build robots. The 6-week programme cumulated in a live event and awards ceremony that took place on November 16 last year.
