New educational programmes at Emirates Soil Museum in Dubai
Growing interest among children spurred the expansion of educational programmes
Dubai: The Emirates Soil Museum is expanding its educational programmes for schools in response to the growing interest among schoolchildren and other visitors in the UAE for the 2019-2020 season.
The museum, located on the premises of the International Centre for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA), is a one-of-its-kind hub of knowledge about soils in the Gulf region. As part of the new learning programmes, the museum has created multi-day programmes and dedicated workshops for universities, companies, and the general public. The museum will also start offering artist-in-residence programmes and hosting exhibitions and art workshops.
Since its inauguration in December 2016 with financial support from the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, the museum has welcomed about 3,000 visitors, including high-level dignitaries such as ministers and heads of international organisations, scientists, astronauts; school and university students; and members of the public.
Dr Esmahane Al Ouafi, Director-General of ICBA, said: “We are glad to see the growing interest in the Emirates Soil Museum, particularly among young students. ICBA is proud to see the museum serving as a knowledge hub on soil — an essential non-renewable natural resource. With the rising global threat to food security and the undisputable climate change impact, it is important to learn about soils and soil conservation, especially in marginal environments such as the UAE.”
The museum helps visitors learn about the soil story through an interactive augmented-reality mobile application which takes them on a historical and scientific tour, providing information about a wide range of museum exhibits. The museum is also equipped with a library of soil information resources and touchscreens with access to geospatial maps of the UAE environment providing additional visual data.
To find out more about the programmes and how you could support and get involved in making them come to life, visit: http://www.emiratessoilmuseum.org/sites/default/files/2019-06/ESM.pdf.