Conference encourages children to embark on entrepreneurial journey at young age

AMMAN — Ahliyyah School for Girls (ASG) and Bishop's School Amman (BSA) on Saturday launched the 2020 “Yalla Shabab” conference with the title “Learning and Innovation”, which aims to enhance children’s skills, encouraging them to innovate and setting them on a path for entrepreneurship.

Divided into 40 teams, around 200 students from public and private schools are competing to come up with the best innovative idea, BSA’s Principal Moeen Haddad told The Jordan Times at Yalla Shabab’s opening event.

Over 30 experts are helping participants partake in 16 skill-building workshops, 16 brainstorming and design-thinking sessions and an open dialogue session to discuss the challenges of the job market, he said.

The conference is being conducted in cooperation with Princess Sumaya University for Technology and Phi Science Institute (PSI). It is supported by Orange Jordan, Bank Al Etihad and Talal Abu Ghazaleh Global, the principal said.

At the launch event, held at BSA, Superintendent of ASG and BSA Haifa Najjar said that individuals become innovative and creative through thinking openly, wondering, asking questions and accepting the ideas of others even if they oppose their own.

Encouraging participants to face various challenges in society with resilience, Najjar said that these challenges can push young people to create opportunities to “build a brighter future”.

Some success stories were brought to the stage to encourage, excite and support participants.

Explaining his journey, Integration Engineer Mohammad Zorgan said that, on the way to success, people face many obstacles and “slaps” that could pull them down, yet they should try to overcome those challenges, never give up and insist on their goals.

“Regardless of one’s surrounding environment, educational background or financial status, hard work pays off at the end,” he added.

Ahmad Jadallah, Founder and CEO of Phi Science Institute, presented some of the latest technologies in “this fast-paced world”, urging participants to think outside the box and engaging them in a world of creativity and innovation.

To be an entrepreneur, Innovative Trainer Saleh Hanash said that a person should empathise with others and figure out their problems and struggles to create sustainable solutions. He also encouraged participants to take “a leap of faith” and explore their capabilities.