Campus Outreach

The main objectives of EEG’s Campus Outreach programmes are: • Supplement the ‘classical’ education system within the UAE and Middle East; • Introduce students to environmental issues that they may have not previously thought about or discussed; • Equip students to think independently and broadly formulate their own views on issues related to sustainable development; • Promote environment as a fundamental subject in both the academic world and extra-curricular activities of schools and universities; • Encourage students to study further and establish careers in environmental preservation Equipping students with the ability to think proactively about the environment and sustainability at this stage will lead to conscientious adults who will adopt sustainable modes of consumption and production at a later stage. In 2016, EEG organised and attended 13 events in association with schools and universities across the Middle East. In all, it was successful in reaching out to 1,520 students. Some of the major events included: • Presentation at the Michigan State University • Visit to a paper recycling factory • Creative workshop – Environmental Conservation Through Art • #FirstGeneration discussion with the Swedish Embassy • National level Inter College Environmental Public Speaking Competition in the Sultanate of Oman To meet the challenges of transitioning to a Green Economy, it is essential to develop a Youth population aware of and concerned about environmental issues and its associated problems. Thus, Education for Sustainable Development provides the youth with the motivation to actively participate in identifying environmental problems and engages them to solve these individually and collectively. In 2016, EEG was successful in reaching out to 1,520 students in the UAE and Middle East. The breakdown of this is as follows: • February: 70 students • March: 120 students • April: 200 students • May: 55 students • June: 650 students • August: 25 students • October: 250 students • November: 150 students Spreading the idea of sustainable development and environmental conservation can lead to: • A more inclusive coursework and curriculum; • Generation of new green investments; and • Increase in the number of related green job opportunities in the future Another important impact of EEG’s Campus Outreach programme is that it is conducive in forming a collective public opinion among the youth. These events are packed with knowledge and facts, helping participants and the wider society to create suitable opinions on important environmental issues. To stimulate the spread of sustainable development, the government, private sector and civil society must create simple, practical yet effective campaigns that target different age categories, at schools, universities, workplaces, and homes. Such campaigns have proved successful in different countries and have resulted in positive behavioral changes. Over the years, it is heartening to see the number of participating organisations and students steadily, proving that sustainability is an issue that interests our education sector. However, we welcome like-minded organisations to partner with us to reach out to the youth base the countries in the region to impart the idea of sustainability and environmentalism – be it in the form of sponsoring an event; holding national environmental competitions, delivering a presentation, developing short campaigns or just inviting a foreign school/university to the UAE. We would also like to partner with experts in the field of sustainability and environmental conservation as speakers or to provide us with timely advice on important issues. Thus, stakeholders looking to get involved can contact us to be a resourceful people, partners / sponsors of the programme. We would also like to invite private sector entities to work with us in this highly impactful programme.