JEDDAH, 14 May 2008 — Dar Al-Fikr School will hold a six-day convention, entitled “Girls for a Better Tomorrow,” for over 70 students from 18 high schools in the city starting today.
The event, which is the first of its kind in the Kingdom, aims to teach pre-college students how to interact with society stressing the importance of being involved in positive activities to gain new skills. Participants were selected according to certain criteria, which includes academic excellence, fluency in Arabic and English and leadership skills.
The event has been organized by eight girls from Dar Al-Fikr — four of which are in the 11th grade, three in the 12th and one in the ninth. “Different groups will go on different trips and will make presentations of their experiences when they return to school,” said Nour Attar, one of the organizers.
The idea came from a similar experience that Dar Al-Fikr students underwent during a visit to Singapore.
The event, which will be launched at 5.30 p.m. today, will include a speech by Basma Omair, chairwoman of the Khadija bint Khuwailid Center of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI).
Tomorrow students will tour Old Jeddah from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. On Saturday, which is a media and technology day, they will visit factories, newspapers, advertising agencies and the offices of Saudi Channel 1 from 7.30 a.m. until 5 p.m.; on Sunday, which is a youth, leadership and community services day, they will visit the JCCI and learn about the Recycle Jeddah Campaign; and on Monday, students will attend a lecture on Women in Islam at the JCCI from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Napoleon, a former rapper, is expected to talk about his journey to Islam at the event. The closing ceremony will be held on Tuesday.
