Art creates a powerful and lasting emotion, as visual images stick with us more than words. Hence, artists can use art to make a statement that moves viewers into action. Art also helps with mental and motor skill development amongst younger children and hence in recent years, there has been great interest among educators in understanding and further developing links between arts based learning and human development. As this is one of the most popular events of EEG, more than 350 schools across the UAE take part each year. In 2020, students were given the opportunity to creatively express their views on the following topics, “Your Dream World”, “Your Vision for UAE 2030” and “Our World 30 years from now”.

These programmes contribute towards the fulfillment of the UN SDG no. 7, 11, 13 and 15 which focus on affordable and clean energy, sustainable cities and communities, climate action and life on land respectively.

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Confidence and powerful oratory skills are essential for effectively raising awareness and encouraging the conventional crowd to convert into environmentally responsible citizens. Thus, EEG provides the young minds of the UAE with a platform to develop their public speaking skills and express their concerns on environmental degradation. The competition prepares school students with confidence, critical thinking skills and sound knowledge on existing sustainability issues. In 2021, more than 400 students participated and the topics consisted of “Sustainable living: A path for a greener future?”, “Environment and Education: Need for Change”, “Balancing the three pillars of sustainability in a post pandemic world” and “Integrating environment & technology: A solution to sustainability?”

The topics for the year were chosen with extreme scrutiny, taking suggestions from previous participants, educators, sponsors, judges and with open discussion with the board members of EEG. The topics chosen this year were vital to the current situation faced by the global community, to encompass the shift in focus towards the need for sustainability during and after the pandemic. The topics and the competition drives the discourse towards several of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals including SDG 3, SDG 4, SDG 8, SDG 11, SDG 13, SDG 14 and SDG 15.

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The year 2020 has been a series of slippery slopes for sustainability – from the forest fires, hurricanes, floods to the Covid-19 pandemic and we have not seen the end of it yet. The world has undeniably witnessed the effects of climate change and the aftermath of unchecked environmental destruction that we have sowed for the past two centuries since the start of industrial revolution. It is irrefutable that now, we as citizens of this planet must work together to combat and rectify this climate crisis. To highlight the importance of collaborative efforts, “Sustainability: A Global Puzzle” was chosen as the theme for the 20^th cycle of the annual Students’ Workshops.

Under this theme, the students were engaged in activities that helped them come to an understanding in assembling the final portrait of a puzzle that depicts a more sustainable future, by creating a holistic knowledge of how the industrial and anthropogenic activities in some parts of the world can have a massive impact on a global level. Through the sessions that were specifically designed to fit the different age groups of students (juniors, sub-seniors, and seniors), the workshops provided the students with a platform to discuss and explore different scenarios in the environmental, social, and economic contexts of sustainability that have been severely impacted by COVID -19 pandemic.

EEG believes that education is the key to achieving uttermost environmental success. This belief inspires EEG to serve as a creative platform for tomorrow’s sustainability champions to come together and discuss contemporary environmental issues. The 20^th Inter College Environmental Public Speaking Competition gave a chance for outstanding international undergraduate student participants across the GCC to creatively showcase their public speaking skills and express their opinions about environmental and sustainability issues. This enables them to expand their thought-process to propose innovative solutions for bringing a positive change. In 2020, more than 180 members were a part of the event and the topics consisted of “Sustainable Tourism is a Responsible Tourism”, “The 6th Mass Extinction – is it upon us?”, “Resource Efficiency and Climate Change – Actions Required” and “Biodiversity Restoration – Who’s Responsibility?”

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As EEG aims to positively contribute to the advancement of sustainable development, it acts as a focal point for students of diverse ages, nationalities and backgrounds across academic institutions in the UAE and recently in other parts of the world. Concerned pupils engage in discussions with EEG about issues and implementation of solutions within different aspects of sustainability, creating inspiration for impactful actions and developments. During the months of February to October in 2019, the following academic institutions participated: GEMS Modern Academy, Al Raha International School, Canadian Univeristy Dubai, University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong), Al Ghurair University, GEMS Camp (Texas), Hashemite University (Jordan).