Empowering Gifted Students in STEM: An Experience Using Online Mentoring in Abu Dhabi, UAE

Practice based

The purpose of this workshop is to present an online mentoring program initiative for gifted high school students in Abu Dhabi. The program serves as a driving force to enhance enrichment programs. Phase 1 included dividing gifted students into interest groups. Three enrichment clusters comprised this phase, namely, STEM cluster, young researcher cluster, and book club cluster. In Phase 2, students and teachers received extensive training relating to problem solving skills in a collaboration with a team of experts and researchers in the USA. Prior to the end of phase 2, students were asked to write proposals (research/business proposals) that can be implemented in phase 3 to address the problems and issues raised in phase 2 and which were related to reducing plastic waste. The workshop presents several examples of students’ innovations and offers excellent opportunities for exchanging ideas/experiences in relation to the workshop topic with the audience.