Dubai: More than 100 students from 13 different public schools across the city walked out of a media programme with better knowledge in 11 different media disciplines following a year of training with media professionals.
The Development of Student Media Talent Programme launched by Dubai Education Zone in collaboration with Dubai Media Incorporated and held under the patronage of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, opened up new opportunities to girls and boys with great potential and interest in media, by nurturing their talents through theoretical and practical training.
Media professionals from Dubai Media Incorporated led different training sessions at their studios and at Dubai Education Zone throughout the year to train the students in photography, TV directing, TV filming, presenting, and journalism, among other media disciplines.
Aisha Al Beyat, Head of Government Communication at Dubai Education Zone, who came up with the idea of launching the programme three years ago, spoke about the need to train students in media studies even if they do not pursue studies in media.
“A number of high school students were nominated to be part of this training programme, which has played a big role in discovering their talents and enhancing their skills in different media disciplines,” Aisha told Gulf News. “Since the launch of this programme we had the vision of graduating a wise generation of students with enough knowledge in media.”
Aisha said that students are now able to make better decisions about whether they want to continue their studies in media because they have enough knowledge about different careers in media. “Many of our students walk out more confident, stronger and wiser. They are able to speak out and stand in front of the camera without fear, and a lot have already joined colleges offering a major in media.”
During the honouring ceremony yesterday (Monday), a discussion was held to better understand what the students learnt and how they plan to use the skills they acquired in the future.
Sara Esmail, an Emirati grade 12 student from Al Salam School, said she was not planning to pursue her studies in media, but she’s thankful she got the opportunity to train as a presenter.
“If it weren’t for the programme, I wouldn’t be sitting here as part of this panel, confident enough to speak to a large audience. I’m now able to converse with people better than before, and I think every job in the future requires good communication skills,” Sara said.
Another Emirati student, Abdullah Al Me’mar, who trained in TV production, said he has always been passionate about becoming a TV director and was interested in knowing how it happens, but still wants to be a pilot.
“I thought a TV director’s job was different, but after this experience I have enough knowledge about how it is managed. I want to be a pilot in the future, but I also do not mind taking up a career as a TV director.”
