The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi kicks off Maktaba Summer Camp

MAKTABA, the library management section of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), is holding its popular annual MAKTABA Summer Camp from 1 to 28 August 2022, aiming to enhance the creative and entrepreneurial skills of children and teenagers through fun, knowledge-building sessions. The programme will encompass a wide range of artistic and educational activities through interactive workshops tailored to different interests and age groups.

Shaikha Almehairi, Library Management Department Director at DCT Abu Dhabi, said: “This year, MAKTABA Summer Camp is focussed on elevating the leadership skills of participants, incentivising their creativity and encouraging them to execute their innovative ideas by showcasing real-life experiences of successful entrepreneurs and pioneers in various fields. We at MAKTABA have ensured that the camp’s activities combine entertainment and learning while preparing the participating students for a new academic year.”

As part of the camp, MAKTABA is holding the Summer Reading Challenge 2022. Children between the ages of 6 and 16 are invited to participate in the challenge and read 30 books by 28 August for a chance to win various prizes. Parents will be able to join the challenge by reading six books over a six-week period.

Interactive activities and workshops at MAKTABA Summer Camp will include ‘Creating Business From Drawings’, ‘Earn From Your Talent!’, and cooking workshops that will be led by young Emirati chef Aysha AlObeidli, among others.

A number of workshops on management and leadership skills, moderated by specialists in both fields, will also be organised to uplift kids’ entrepreneurship skills, such as ‘How to Manage Your Finances’, ‘Leader of the 50 Skills!’, and ‘Investment Strategies!’. These sessions will teach participants how to manage their finances using modern financial planning techniques, in accordance with their needs and income. They will also identify mechanisms of investment portfolio distribution and highlight the most prominent necessary leadership skills needed by today’s youth.

The ‘Action’ workshop will cover communication via social media, so that children are able to create safe and useful content in a social media-dominated digital age. For those with a sweet tooth, ‘How to Make Tiramisu at Home?’ will talk about the experience of starting a home-based candy making business and selling products via Instagram.              

The MAKTABA Summer Camp will also offer inspiring educational lectures, interactive reading workshops, and a range of activities geared toward those with artistic and literary talent.