12 tech-themed workshops at Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival
The ever-popular Social Media Station, a hit atraction every year at the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (SCRF) organised by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), will make a comeback this edition with 12 in-depth workshops designed to equip children and adults alike with the skills to navigate the rapidly developing tech landscape.
The workshops are part of a comprehensive programme of more than 1,900 children- and youth-oriented activities at the 13th edition of SCRF, taking place over 12 days from May 11 – 22 at Expo Centre Sharjah and carrying the theme ‘Create Creativity’.
Hosted by 8 leading online influencers, the sessions cover everything from social media content creation and blockchain technology to computer programming and robotics.
THE ART OF GATHERING THE BEST OUT OF SOCIAL MEDIA: Targeted at children aged 10 – 15, who tend to be highly active on Youtube and Instagram, this workshop provides insights on how to responsibly follow accounts on social media. Participants will learn when to avoid hitting the ‘follow’ buton and how to determine whether an account is trustworthy.
In-depth sessions will take place at the popular Social Media Station throughout the festival, running from May 11 – 12 at Expo Centre
CREATE A TREND USING YOUR TIKTOK AND REELS: Trends are constantly cropping up on Tiktok and Instagram Reels. This workshop encourages youth to question the value of social media trends.
ONE-CLICK AWAY: Younger internet users will benefit from this workshop, which is designed to make social media more accessible and demonstrate that a single click can open up a new world.
BULLIES AND HACKERS DETOXIFICATION: In this workshop, youth will learn how to keep their online accounts safe and maintain privacy independently of parental supervision. The session will also explore rules of etiquete when posting comments and strategies to tackle cyberbullying.
IOT: Participants of this workshop will be introduced to the intricate world of the Internet of Things (IOT) and its importance in the field of design. A short talk will be followed by a handson session in which atendees will brainstorm designing and prototyping ideas and build gadgets of their own.
MAZE CHALLENGE ROBOT: On your mark, ready, set, go! Using supplied materials, build a robot race car powered by a mobile app remote control and then take part in a friendly race with fellow workshop atendees.
VIDEOGRAPHY FOR SOCIAL MEDIA AND STORYTELLING: This workshop sheds light on how videos are created and used to tell a story. Participants will have the opportunity to perform scenes in groups for a video and observe the process of puting them together for a social media post using specialised sotware.
CODE WITH SOCIAL MEDIA SPRITES: Develop your coding skills to create a sprite, or animated character, based on the logo of your favourite social media plaform in this expert-led workshop offered at SCRF.
CREATIVE CONTENT CREATION: Participants of this session will hear from digital creator Mohamad Khalifa, who will discuss why he decided to embark on his content creation journey and the challenges he faced along the way.
It will also feature hands-on activities exploring various aspects of content creation, including editing apps, techniques for shooting with a mobile phone, and safety measures while seting up a social media account.
HOW TO BECOME AN NFT ARTIST?: Early education in virtual assets is essential as the world enters a future in which cryptocurrency and non-fungible tokens (NFTS) dominate the economy. From creating a crypto wallet and designing a digital artwork to trading on the virtual marketplace, this workshop provides a step-by-step, accessible guide to minting NFTS.
CRYPTO KIDS & NFTS: This workshop expands on the subject of NFTS, providing information about online marketplaces that are safe for children and how to use them.
Ater being given examples of youth around the world who have used NFTS for good, participants will be asked to think about a cause they want to support with the money they make with the virtual assets.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE & PROGRAMMING: A crash course in computer languages, this workshop delves into the history of coding and programming and their various uses including mobile and web applications. The session will turn the spotlight on artificial intelligence.