Qatar school teams participate in ‘Destination Imagination’ Global Finals in Kansas

In continuation of the “Destination Imagination” programme season, implemented by Al-Faisal Without Borders Foundation (ALF Foundation) in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE) in public and private schools in Qatar, 96 schools, represented by 202 teams and nearly 2,000 students from various educational stages, participated in this edition of the programme.

Eighteen schools qualified to participate in the programme’s Global Finals in Kansas, USA, from May 21-26, 2024. Special training sessions with challenge leaders, team managers, and participating schools resulted in the selection of five public schools with about 35 students from different educational levels to represent Qatar in scientific, engineering, and technological challenges at the Global Finals, which includes participants from 20 countries and over 50 states within the USA.

Since the end of the local tournament, held at Qatar University last February, ALF has co-ordinated with the MoEHE to provide full support to the teams participating in the DI Global Finals. Necessary preparations and arrangements, including training sessions between challenge leaders and students, have been facilitated to achieve the highest possible quality in the challenges. This is with the aim for the participating teams to win top positions in the global championship.

HE Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim al-Thani, founder and chairman of ALF, expressed his delight at the participation of Qatari school teams in the finals, considering it a significant achievement to showcase the creativity of Qatari students and the quality of education in Qatar to the world. He emphasised his full support for the participating teams and wished them success and victory in the Global Finals.

Engineer Abdullatif Ali al-Yafei, general manager of ALF, stated that such international participations with countries like the USA, China, Poland, and Turkiye ensure that the participating students gain sufficient experience to face various intellectual and educational challenges and acquire the necessary skills for their scientific careers. This is the primary purpose of implementing the programme in Qatar, as it is an extracurricular programme that enables students to understand and comprehend everything beyond the traditional curriculum.