Science center provides window to another world to youngsters

Sixth grader Hadi Jalwan leapt out of his seat and enthusiastically ushered an acquaintance to follow as he led her toward the Temporary Exhibit Hall where the SciTech annual summer festival was taking place.
One really cannot miss it. Swarms of proud mothers flocked at the entrance and scattered in the exhibit that displayed their children’s finished work from scientific experiments to abstract art. The lights in the room were dimmed and amid the commotion of students a girl stood out.
Arwa Al-Mahasheer, a 12th grader, heard about the art program offered by the Educational Unit in SciTech and was quick to join. She produced the recycled art creations that she worked on with her class that consisted of about 14 girls and was quite pleased with the skills she had acquired.
Walking down the halls of Prince Sultan Center for Science and Technology, popularly known as SciTech, with a guide from the public relations department, Sarah Al-Ghofaily, Arab News reviewed the center’s design and the goals that it aspires to fulfill.
SciTech is a modern science center located in Alkhobar. Schools often organize trips for their students to visit the seven exhibit halls that cover everything from life undersea to the mechanics of an atom.
Visitors head to the SciTech Astronomic Observatory for stargazing and line up to watch one of the many documentaries provided in the IMAX theater, the first in the Middle East, that fits up to 190 viewers. The planetarium design adds a pinch of magic to the experience and allows viewers to completely immerse themselves in the experience.
With all of its facilities the center makes science more attractive and accessible for the youth. There is an exhibit for every age: Science-infused playrooms for the children and more specified exhibits for students that match their curriculum giving them a new approach to the material that is easy to grasp and fun to explore.
Ala Salagoor is the English teacher in SciTech during the summer. She introduces the language in forms of song and dance that make learning more exciting for the young ones.
“The center fosters creativity in a friendly environment away from school. Even the students who came in not knowing a word of English learned very quickly from interacting with other students,” Salagoor said.
As the boys huddled around their art teacher, Ahmed Hani, one is reminded that the wealth of every nation lies in its youth. With the discovery of the Higgs Boson and the exponential rise of new technology this center provides a unique experience for its community.
It serves as both an educational center as well as an entertainment facility throughout the year and in the summer it keeps the youth active. As the festival progressed long lines of boys and girls could be spotted from across the hall heading toward the exhibits and the new IMAX documentaries, “Arabia” and “Sea Monsters.”
For those who cannot make the journey to SciTech center their website SciTech.com.sa provides a 3D tour of all the exhibits and a good introduction to each of its facilities. “Friends invite friends to join the programs or explore the center; it has been a great experience,” says Hadi Jalwan, the 6th grader, before he runs off to pat his friend on the back as they make their way out of the building.