RIYADH, 11 July 2004 — Over 50 scientific experiments designed to develop communication and creative skills among the Saudi youth are being tried out this summer at the Prince Salman Science Oasis (PSSO) in the capital’s Diplomatic Quarter.
Facilities at PSSO, which are open to both Saudi and expatriate students, rely on support from a number of public and private sector organizations in the Kingdom and abroad, according to its executive director Dr. Khalid A. Taher.
Besides developing their creative and communication skills, the idea behind the scientific experiments “is to provide edutainment to the children,” Taher pointed out. Other goals are to promote team spirit, develop building skills and encourage leadership qualities through the process of decision-making.
By partnering with major scientific and computer software organizations, PSSO has equipped itself with various smart games, audio-visual and computer lab facilities as well as Lego building blocks and other exhibits, to help in the realm of construction or scientific pursuits. To these, the center has added its own ideas to make everything compatible with the local environment, Taher said.
A visit to the Oasis provided a glimpse of the various games and gadgets available.
For kids, electronic smart cars speed along winding tracks. How they maneuver to race ahead of the pack tests their competing skills and fosters team spirit, Dr. Fadel Al-Hajfadel, director of the summer program, noted. He is assisted by a team of bilingual facilitators who provide guidance where needed.
An exhibit that demonstrates the flow of static electricity through the human body is the Van de Graaff generator. To demonstrate static electricity in motion, a girl mounted a platform attached to the device and placed her hand on a metallic surface.
The activation of the generator produced static electricity that caused the girl’s hair to rise up on her head.
Children’s imaginations are also inspired with the 3D Movie exhibit that provides a creative outlet for busy minds. Under the guidance of an instructor, children spend their time producing computer-generated cartoons. For budding authors, the Oasis has a repertoire of films that are projected onto a screen. After watching the films, the students write a synopsis of what they have absorbed.
“That’s where creativity comes into play. Our donors and philanthropists have made prizes available for the works produced by these children in the various fields. This serves to promote a healthy team spirit and an element of competition among children, which in turn lays a solid foundation for the citizens of tomorrow,” Taher observed.
By interacting with children of different nationalities and cultures, they learn to break communication barriers for a synthesis of ideas toward shared goals. That is, to harness the forces of science and technology for a better future.
To make sure that the kids have a role model to inspire them in the realm of space and scientific pursuits, the Oasis has a documentary on the historic space flight of Prince Sultan ibn Salman that put him into history as the first Muslim and Arab astronaut.
“There are even more surprises in store,” Taher said, “but they will be announced at the right time.”
PSSO, essentially a science museum, is open from Sunday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and again from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
