Thousands of children sign up to Adnoc's science and tech skills programme

Thousands of children across the UAE have signed up for an online programme that teaches science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (stem) skills for free.

Stem@Home sets children aged seven to 18 a series of 10 science-based challenges.

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) launched the programme in June to support stem education online, as children learned remotely due to the coronavirus pandemic.

More than 20,000 young people have registered so far.

Reem Mubarak AlBuainain, manager of Adnoc’s corporate social responsibility team, said the project seeks to "enable our children to develop the skills required to contribute to the nation’s long-term economic development".

“We are very pleased to offer this programme that ensures our youth will continue having access to stem resources that stimulate creative thinking, in the safety and comfort of their homes during this unprecedented period," she said.

The company, one of the country's biggest employers, has rolled out a number of stem programmes across 81 schools and five universities.

They include a partnership with Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management to promote the ‘Yas in Schools’ initiative, which teaches pupils motorsport-themed science and tech skills.

Adnoc has also teamed up with the Japan Oil Development Co and Kumon Institute of Education to promote the Kumon Method of learning mathematics in schools in Abu Dhabi and Al Dhafra.

And in 2017 it entered a partnership with ATLAB and Lego Education in 2017 to construct Lego Education Innovation Studios in all Adnoc Schools, among other programmes.

The Stem@Home challenges can be accessed via the Adnoc Stem Programme page on Facebook.

Participants receive a certificate after completing each challenge, with awards available for winners.