Shoman Foundation Organizes Exhibition for Little Innovators in Jordan

Jordan's Minister of Information and Communications Technology and Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation CEO at the exhibition.
Jordan's Minister of Information and Communications Technology and Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation CEO at the exhibition.
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Shoman Foundation Organizes Exhibition for Little Innovators in Jordan

Jordan's Minister of Information and Communications Technology and Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation CEO at the exhibition.
Jordan's Minister of Information and Communications Technology and Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation CEO at the exhibition.

The Department of Education and Science at Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation organized the Young Innovators Exhibition Thursday to enhance thinking skills among children and adolescents.

In its third edition, the exhibition, introduced a distinguished presentation of scientific projects made by children, who attended scientific and practical workshops including experiments and projects aimed at developing their research and analytical capacities.

The exhibition was organized at the Islamic Educational College, under the patronage of Jordan's Minister of Information and Communications Technology Muthanna Al-Gharaybeh, who expressed pride in the innovative projects, and highlighted the great role given by the Shoman Foundation to the scientific and cultural fields.

The age of participants ranged between 10 and 13. They developed 11 scientific projects.

Speaking at the event, Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation CEO Valentina Qussisiya said: "We are meeting today for the third consecutive year to celebrate the Young Innovators Lab program aiming at boosting the children's critical thinking and growing an innovative and creative generation."

"The Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation, established 40 years ago by the Arab Bank, is fully aware of the importance of cultivating culture and science in children and adults. Therefore, the Foundation selected 41 out of 500 applicants to undergo a critical thinking test."

The CEO pointed out that the Foundation has been focusing on programs and activities targeting science and education, as well as reading and knowledge, indicating that the Foundation has been keen for three years, to focus on training children practically, mentally and intellectually.

"Innovation here means focusing on many skills that are being transformed through education from feeding learning to learning critical thinking skills that help a child analyze, think, and implement projects in innovative ways," she said.

According to Qussisiya, these projects will undoubtedly address many problems.

The acquisition of critical thinking and learning in light of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, along with turning ideas into practical products, will provide Jordan with many jobs and opportunities in the near future, she said.

The 11 participating groups presented their projects to the audience, talked about the problems they encountered, how they overcame them, and the alternative solutions they chose to get the final form of the project.



Nepal Hosts Hot Air Balloon Festival

Hot air balloons rise in sky during the international festival at Pokhara in Nepal on December 25, 2024. (Photo by PRAKASH MATHEMA / AFP)
Hot air balloons rise in sky during the international festival at Pokhara in Nepal on December 25, 2024. (Photo by PRAKASH MATHEMA / AFP)
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Nepal Hosts Hot Air Balloon Festival

Hot air balloons rise in sky during the international festival at Pokhara in Nepal on December 25, 2024. (Photo by PRAKASH MATHEMA / AFP)
Hot air balloons rise in sky during the international festival at Pokhara in Nepal on December 25, 2024. (Photo by PRAKASH MATHEMA / AFP)

With Nepal's snowy Himalayan peaks as a backdrop, the sky above Pokhara transformed into a vibrant canvas of colors for the country's first hot-air balloon festival.

Tourism is a major earner for Nepal, which saw over a million foreign visitors this year after a post-pandemic bounceback, and investments are being made in hotels and airports to cater to travelers.

"We felt that we must bring a balloon festival like this to Nepal," Sabin Maharjan, an organizer of the event, told AFP.

Hot-air balloons from more than 10 countries participated in the festival.

"A ride here can be very exciting as you can see mountains, hills and lakes," Maharjan added.

"All passengers tell us that they are very happy -- such a festival will boost our tourism."

The balloons created a mesmerizing display against a stunning sight of the snow-capped Annapurna range.

"It is spectacular," American balloon pilot Derek Hamcock, 67, said.

"As soon as you go above the small range here you see all the Himalayas. Unbelievable, every time you see them it is unbelievable."

Balloons shaped as a rat and a frog from were among those joining in the fun, slowly drifting with the breeze.

"You never know where you are going," said Diego Criado del Rey, 29, a balloon pilot from Spain.

"So it is pretty much you and the nature -- not fighting, but being together. You go where the nature tells you."

Nepal's Civil Aviation Authority issued a notice for the skies over Pokhara for a duration of nine days to allow balloon flights.

Although more than two centuries have passed since France's Montgolfier brothers made the first manned flight, ballooning can still capture the imagination.