Art contest takes Dubai students close to nature
dubai — Art can be one of the most powerful mediums to raise consciousness about any issue. And just recently, it was used to drum home the importance of conserving the environment.
Several school students from across the UAE were declared winners of the environmental drawing compeition 2017 during Emirates Environmental Group’s (EEG) World Environment Day celebrations.
The awarding ceremony commemorated the World Environment Day (WED) that is observed on June 5 around the globe every year. The theme of WED 2017 is ‘Connecting people to nature’.
This year, the participation was at its highest level ever since the inception of the programme.
A total of 1,094 entries were received from 262 schools, with a total participation of over 50,000 students, including 40 student members of the EEG. Held under three themes this year, the competitors had to produce drawings depicting ‘Giving back to nature’ for age group 6 to 8 years; ‘Gifts of nature’ for age group 9 to 11 years; and ‘Sustainable cities and communities’ for age group 12 to 16 years.
The three themes were also available for talented children with special needs to compete for — from 6 to 16 years.
The two themes of the event — ‘Giving back to nature’ and ‘Gifts of nature’ — were developed this year to link up with the UAE’s ‘Year of Giving’ initiative.
Habiba Al Marashi, chairperson of EEG, said that art is a powerful medium which is able to educate the youth about their responsibility towards the environment. “By creating a platform where students can articulate their passion for the environment, we are certain that the emotions in their art will remain strong within them right into their adulthood.”