Children and staff at the newly-opened Aspen Heights British school in Abu Dhabi delighted to be the very first school in the emirate to host the Expo 2020 youth connect team. On 1st November delegates from the team hosted a workshop to inspire, amaze and excite our children to the possibilities that are coming to the UAE in three short years. We were all in awe of the remarkable design of the Expo 2020 arena, and learned about the history of Expos that have been hosted around the globe over the years, held to promote innovation, cultural understanding and global partnerships.
We discovered that there are 3 planned zones, each with a unique focus and inspiring design:
Opportunity– sharing future aspirations and developments for the benefit of local and global communities. Children were intrigued by questions such as ‘what will money look like in the future’, wondering ‘will there be classrooms in 2050?’
Mobility– explores connecting people, goods and ideas, and we puzzled over ‘how many places are there left to explore?’
Sustainability- aiming to do more with less, preserving and protecting our planet’s finite resources. The design is inspired by a Falcon’s wing; the national bird of the UAE. The ‘feathers’ move through solar energy with the movement of the sun, facilitating shade and facilitating natural cooling. Aspen Heights puts enquiry based learning utilising the locality to inspire learning of environmental themes at the heard of our curriculum, so this is a zone we are very excited to visit!
We are very proud and excited that the UAE is host to such a prestigious global event, and, having heard the plans, know that the whole world will be watching in amazement, and come aware energised to build a better future for us all.
We were incredibly proud of our children who showed themselves to be great thinkers; enthusiastic, well- mannered and insightful. Ms. Maryam Al Safran from the Expo 2020 youth connect team wrote: ‘Your students were adorable and very inspiring with their answers, reactions, and engagements.’
Our creative staff are keen to evolve our curriculum planning to make the most of having such a memorable and meaningful resource on our doorstep. Watch this space!
