AUS Sharakah Program holds literary festival for high school students

American University of Sharjah (AUS) campus was abuzz on Wednesday, November 16, with the participation of 650 high school students in the university’s lively celebration of National Young Readers Week.

Organized by the Office of Enrollment Management’s Sharakah Program, the festivities saw high school students learning basic conversations in American Sign Language (ASL) during a workshop organized by AUS’ Community Service and Outreach office, dressing-up as their favorite literary characters, participating in a digital treasure hunt using book clues, swapping and taking books, decorating bookmarks, enjoying mindful literature-based coloring, playing anime and movie trivia, and making quick wins at a “scratch and win” booth. Students also had the opportunity to choose  from a wide range of free pre-loved books of different genres for free. 

Several AUS departments participated in the event including the AUS Sharakah Program team, Office of Student Affairs, Achievement Academy Bridge Program, and AUS student clubs and volunteers.

“National Young Readers Week is a wonderful opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of reading. It is an opportunity to encourage school students to read in a fun and engaging manner. We were so happy to see how excited the students were during our event, with fictional characters from books walking around the event and students exchanging books and getting introduced to new worlds,” said Hala Al-Jundi, AUS Sharakah Program Officer..

She added: “Encouraging students to hone their reading skills is important to their success whether at school or university. It is important to provide students at a young age with opportunities to explore new worlds that go beyond the curriculum. Organizing this event is part of the university’s efforts to engage with the community and make a meaningful impact. School students are the future of tomorrow, and we believe in the importance of engaging and empowering them.”

The event saw the participation of 10 Sharakah schools including International School of Creative Science; Al Zuhour Private School; Sharjah American International School; Greenwood International School; Dubai National School; Almarefaa Private School; Sharjah American International School, Sharjah campus; Westminster School in Dubai; Manarat Al Sharjah School and Al Shola School.

The AUS Sharakah Program fosters partnerships with select schools in the UAE and the region to engage school students and teachers by offering a wide range of events, activities and programs as part of the university’s community engagement strategic initiative. For more information, visit w.aus.edu/sharakah.