A new world awaits kids of all ages at www.ead.ae. The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) has launched yesterday Shaheen’s World, a website that aims to introduce kids to their environment in a fun way. The website will specifically raise awareness on global issues, water, energy, waste, air and biodiversity.

Aimed at 6 to 16 year olds, the website is bright, fun and easy to navigate. At the same time, it carries very important messages and promotes exciting ways children can live a more environmentally friendly life. On entering the website, kids join Shaheen and his youngest sister Noura on a voyage of discovery.

Shaheen is a 16-year old Emirati living in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. He is an adventurous young man who is curious to know why the environment is such a hot topic nowadays. His youngest sister Noura is smart, funny and brave. She hates people who litter and is not afraid of insects. She is confused about what she wants to be when she grows up but she is certain that she wants her career to be enjoyable, different and useful to her country.

True to the objectives of creating the website and its use, EAD chose to launch the website in a child-friendly event in Khalifa Park, Abu Dhabi. Amid interactive online stations, balloons, cupcakes and physical environmental games, many students from different schools in Abu Dhabi showed off their skills navigating the new website and participating in a game challenge against the adults present in the audience. These students were the lucky ones chosen to be the first to experience the website.

Through eight interactive games featured on the website, kids can learn about global environmental concern and local issues. For example, in the “All about me” children should help Shaheen match animals to their pictures according to the way they behave. In the Water Me Don’t Waste Me! Noura needs to water her plant and children should help her water her plant efficiently without wasting water by filling in the blanks correctly. Five more games to be added to the website later bring up the total number of the games to 13 interactive games.

Through Green Careers, children are invited to follow Noura as she interviews real-life environmental experts from EAD, such as Marine Biologists and Environmental Inspectors, to find out what she wants to be when she grows up.

Shaheen’s World allows for kids to express what they are doing to save the environment, to share opinions about hot environmental topics and to participate in environment-related polls. In the Share Your Story section, kids can upload their stories and photos sharing their personal environmental experiences.

“When the President of the UAE H.H Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan called for sustainable development in the UAE, he meant people of all ages, including our youngest,” said HE. Majid Al Mansouri, Secretary General of EAD.

“We have a responsibility to give our children the opportunity to answer this call to service. Today, there are many young people in our community who want to help but do not know how or where to start or whether their efforts can make a real difference in their environment. We know they can make a difference. And Shaheen’s World will show them how.”

He added, “At EAD, we continue to teach children about the importance of environmental protection, and now we are posting this lesson where we know our children will see it, on the Internet. I encourage every parent, teacher and guardian to interact with their children through this Web experience. When I was growing up, it was important for children to connect with their environment and we believe Shaheen’s World will help them do that.”

Laila Al Hassan, a spokesperson for EAD’s Environmental Awareness Sector explained “Shaheen’s World provides a safe, fun and interactive way to familiarize kids with their environment. It will introduce the new generation to the age-old habit of environmental protection. The characters featured on the site, Shaheen and his youngest sister Noura, encourage children to take what they learn on the site ‘offline’ to the real world.”

Shaheen’s World was developed in a manner that stimulates children’s interest and sustains it, in order to attract them back to the website and capture their interest for longer periods of surfing. As part of this approach, EAD will introduce new games and information to the website on a regular basis.
 

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