Cairo, 8 July 2022 – Throughout 2022, 1500 refugee children are being introduced to the wonders of science through an exciting programme supported, coordinated and implemented by Al Alfi Foundation, UNHCR Egypt, Catholic Relief Services Egypt and 1001 Inventions.
The programme, hosted at the GrEEK Campus in their technology and innovation hub at the heart of downtown Cairo, offers weekend sessions throughout the school year and daily activities during the summer holidays. The aim is to spark curiosity in science and inspire hope in a better future while providing refugee children with means for self-expression.
Activities are delivered by a talented team of local science explainers who is trained by 1001 Inventions to take children on their fascinating learning journey. Each session includes screening of 1001 Inventions short films to set the scene and help introduce children to STEM concepts through the power of storytelling. The short films are followed by hands-on workshops and science demonstrations offering children experiential learning opportunities to help them discover a varied set of themes including engineering, medicine, physics and chemistry and their relevance to our daily lives.
Such learning experiences help excite children about science, understand principles of experimentation and critical thinking while gaining vital teamwork and presentation skills. Additionally, the activities provide means for positive self-expression and inspire hope for a better future for refugee children who may not have other opportunities for such extracurricular activities. 1001 Inventions team of science explainers end each day with a science show enthralling children with the exciting world of science.
This programme follows a pilot organised in August 2021 where about 100 refugee and asylum-seeker children benefited from STEM activities during an exciting Summer Camp.
About Al Alfi Foundation for Human and Social Development
An independent philanthropic foundation aiming at developing people with high capability to improve their surrounding social and economic environment. A high-impact foundation seeking the highest social return for our philanthropic interventions.
About UNHCR Egypt
UN Refugee Agency is a global organisation dedicated to saving lives and protecting the rights of refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless people. It works to ensure that everybody has the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge, having fled violence, persecution, war or disaster at home. Their main objective is to help to save lives and build better futures for millions forced from home.
About CRS – Catholic Relief Services Egypt
CRS Egypt supports economic opportunities for refugees, women and other marginalized groups. CRS Egypt’s current interfaith action strategy promotes collaboration between Muslims and Christians in at-risk communities in Egypt to reduce interreligious conflict through community action.
CRS Egypt also offers education assistance to refugees from Africa, Syria and Iraq. CRS works closely with Egyptian organizations to carry out these programs, supporting each organization to become more effective, efficient and responsive—creating lasting positive change as this age-old society goes about reinventing itself.
About the GrEEK Campus
The GrEEK Campus is Egypt’s first-ever heritage-driven technology hub.
Since opening our doors in 2014, it became the fastest-growing community of start-ups domestically and regionally. The GrEEK Campus ecosystem has shaped the tech industry in the entire MENA region.
Today, its unique mix of over 160 start-ups, incubators, VCs and accelerators -across various industries- has encouraged all its members to move forward and write their own stories.
About 1001 Inventions
1001 Inventions is an award-winning, British based organisation that creates international educational campaigns and initiatives aiming to spark young people’s interest in science.
1001 Inventions believes in the power of culture and storytelling to encourage innovation and promote diversity and inclusion. As such, 1001 Inventions produces themed transmedia productions uncovering fascinating contributions of lesser-known pioneers from Arab, Asian and other Eastern cultures. Such creative public engagement productions cover a wide array of themes including health and wellbeing, machines and robotics, chemistry and its applications as well as animals and nature.
1001 Inventions has engaged with over 450 million people across the globe through effective grassroots outreach as well as working with a network of international partners, including UNESCO, the United Nations World Food Programme, National Geographic and leading academics to produce interactive exhibits, shorts films, live shows, books and educational resources that are being used by hundreds of thousands of educators around the world.
