Latest news with #YouthSummerProgram
Arab News
31-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Arab News
Ithra's Youth Summer Program ends with student-made creativity
DHAHRAN: The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, Ithra, concluded the fourth edition of its month-long Youth Summer Program with a grand finale on Thursday. For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @ Held at Ithra's cinema, with its iconic vibrant colorful seats, the closing ceremony featured student-made film screenings, a piano performance and a spirited debate on AI's role in fostering future creativity. Running from July 7-31, the intensive program gave 30 people between the ages of 13 and 18 hands-on exposure to the arts of theater, cinema, music, creative writing and literature, among others. The curriculum was carefully curated, grounded in a creative learning methodology. It comprised 126 hours of educational content, 28 expert speakers and 10 specialized workshops, and included collaborations with entities such as the Architecture and Design Commission, and the Museums Commission. Now in its fourth year, Ithra's Youth Summer Program is one of the center's flagship initiatives aimed at nurturing Saudi Arabia's emerging creatives. For 15-year-old Toleen Farea, the experience offered an invaluable chance to playfully explore her interests in a streamlined way. 'The program covered many cultural fields, and each day they introduced new experts and topics, like history,' Farea told Arab News. 'The cinema part was my favorite — we made a film from scratch, using professional cameras and microphones. 'I used to be shy about theater and acting, but being with peers my age made it feel natural. It was my first time meeting many of the other participants,' she said. 'The experience was really great. It felt good to step outside the school environment and meet new people — some from my city but with different backgrounds, and even some from other places.' Fahad Al-Qahtani, a 15-year-old from Dammam, agreed. 'This program was a cultural one, and honestly, the experience was really beautiful,' he told Arab News. 'It introduced us to so many fields — from museums and libraries to design studios and much more. I spent my vacation doing something genuinely fun and meaningful. 'It wasn't just about learning from others; we also had the chance to turn our own ideas into something real — instead of just following someone else's concept,' he added. 'One of the activities we did was pottery. We connected it to architecture and design — how a broken piece of pottery can be repaired and turned into something beautiful again. It was inspired by the Japanese technique kintsugi. That idea really stuck with me: Even something that's been shattered can be brought back and made beautiful. 'Before this, I only made simple videos on my phone — little things I'd post online on TikTok, but this program gave me real filmmaking skills. It taught me the basics of cinematography, lighting, sound, editing — a bit of everything, really. I got to learn hands-on, and I even started thinking about how films are made behind the scenes. 'We also worked on a film that we're presenting today. I directed it. It's about a social issue: Repetition and routine,' he said. 'I don't want to spoil the ending, but the message is about breaking free from routine before it traps you. The film is only three minutes long, but I hope it makes people think. 'There were five films made, each with its own director. I directed just one of them. I'm now a director,' he said with pride. Following the films, Ithra hosted a special panel discussion featuring Mansour Al-Badran of the Saudi Film Festival, which was hosted at Ithra earlier this spring. Al-Badran spoke directly with the young directors. He offered encouragement, shared professional insights from the Kingdom's growing film scene and asked the students thoughtful questions about their creative processes, as well as the challenges they faced while filming. Though most of the students who presented live on stage were natural speakers, some were slightly nervous and the audience applauded warmly when a few temporarily froze. The majority of the programming was in Arabic, although some English was sprinkled in. Zaina Hejles, who took part last year when she was 14, returned this summer wearing a light blue vest with the word 'volunteer.' She told Arab News: 'Through this closing ceremony today, we're expecting a recap of everything that's happened this entire month. Everything that the students worked really hard for, it's all being showcased today. From their hands-on work to the movies to the debates, all of it is summed up today.' Reflecting on last year, she said: 'My focus was about acting — I was a grandma in a play. It was an interpretation of the Japanese book (by author Toshikazu Kawaguchi) 'Before the Coffee Gets Cold.' It was just a short little play about how you should savor your time and how life moves on so fast so you have to cherish it. 'I enjoy actually every single part, everything that this program offers — from the acting to the writing, the music. That's why I decided to join, because it really covers all of my interests,' she said. 'After that, I created deep, deep connections with so many people and also even with myself. I found out that I like things that I never knew I liked. I never knew I'd be this good at writing. I wrote a play now and I'm hoping to submit it in the Saudi program for plays. 'This program really brings out stuff in the youth that they didn't know they had. 'It was actually my mother's idea to join last year — I did not want to do anything. I wanted to spend time at home like any other teenager, but she really pushed for me to join because she was like 'what are you going to do at home, just sit on your phone?' I was like 'yes, exactly',' she said. 'But I'm honestly really happy I joined and I'm even more happy that they (Ithra) called me back a second time, asking me to come volunteer because this really is one of the best experiences you can have as a teenager. You're not going to get these years back. For me to be able to relive these moments twice, it's really something special.' Students are only allowed to enroll once, as the curriculum is repeated. Many — like Hejles — choose to return as volunteers, something both Farea and Al-Qahtani hope to do next summer.
Kuwait Times
03-06-2025
- Business
- Kuwait Times
Zain Summer Program returns for sixth season
In partnership with Kuwait News, Kuwait Times, INJAZ Kuwait, V-Thru KUWAIT: Zain announced the kick-off of the sixth season of its Youth Summer Program, one of the company's flagship initiatives under its community strategy to empower the next generation of national talent in the private sector and prepare a creative workforce capable of succeeding and excelling in today's dynamic job market. This year's edition comes in partnership with the Kuwait News media organization, Kuwait Times English daily, INJAZ Kuwait, and for the first time, V-Thru, Kuwait's leading virtual drive-thru platform, offering participants new hands-on training experiences in digital marketing, smart operations, and the logistics sector. The program will host 35 university students from various majors in a one-month journey that combines fieldwork, hands-on training, and workshops focused on personal and professional skills, all within an interactive environment designed to reflect the needs of the fast-evolving digital job market. Commenting on the launch, Hamad Al-Musaibeeh, Corporate Relations Department Manager at Zain Kuwait, said: 'We're proud to launch a new season of our summer program, which has become a highly anticipated annual milestone for ambitious youth. It's not just a training opportunity, but a holistic platform for developing professional and leadership skills and guiding participants toward careers aligned with their talents and ambitions. Our growing partnerships with leading local organizations reflect our commitment to expanding the program's scope and impact year after year.' Scan the code to sign up. He added: 'This year, the program offers four core training tracks. The first is the field track at Zain's retail branches across Kuwait, where participants will be trained in customer service, marketing, sales, and teamwork. The second is the media track in collaboration with Kuwait News and Kuwait Times, where participants will explore content creation, editing, journalism, and photography and videography.' Al-Musaibeeh continued: 'In addition, we have the career skills track in partnership with INJAZ Kuwait, which includes intensive workshops on leadership, communication, career planning, and job market readiness. Finally, the new technical and operations track in collaboration with V-Thru offers students practical experience in a startup environment, with exposure to digital marketing and logistics operations.' Jana Khaldoun Alnaqeeb, Director of PR and CSR at Kuwait News and Kuwait Times, commented: 'Our continued collaboration with Zain in this program for the second year running stems from our belief in the importance of involving youth in shaping media messages and providing them with the tools to understand the media's impact. This season, we'll focus on nurturing creativity and initiative among students through editorial and field experiences that reflect their authentic voices.' Jaber Ashkanani, Director of Business Development and Strategic Partnerships at INJAZ Kuwait, stated: 'We are pleased to continue this strategic partnership with Zain, which spans over 20 years of collaboration aimed at preparing a well-informed generation capable of facing future challenges and the job market.' He added: 'This year, we are especially delighted to collaborate on delivering the 'My Career Path' program for enrolled youth, which focuses on developing leadership skills, creative problem-solving, as well as verbal and written communication skills, among other competencies that help young people become qualified, professional contributors to the workforce.' 'At V-Thru, we believe it's our responsibility to pass on the knowledge, experience, and values we've gained through building one of Kuwait's fastest-growing tech startups,' said Abdullah Al-Shalabi, Co-Founder and CEO of V-Thru. 'This initiative reflects our commitment to investing in local youth and preparing them to thrive in a digital-first economy.' 'In turn, we gain valuable insights from this generation, their perspectives help us understand the evolving needs of tomorrow's market. The program also serves as a strong recruitment channel: several of our top-performing employees started as interns.' He added: 'This partnership with Zain allows us to scale our impact by reaching even more students and fresh graduates, giving them hands-on exposure to real-world challenges in technology, operations, marketing, and customer experience. Together, we're not just creating internship opportunities, we're building a pipeline of future leaders for Kuwait's innovation ecosystem.' Zain's Summer Program is held under the umbrella of its youth empowerment platform Future University Network (FUN), one of the company's longest-running sustainable initiatives launched in 2008. Hundreds of students have benefited from the program over the years, many of whom later joined Zain's workforce after graduation as full-time employees. In the program's last edition, participants completed over 90 training hours across various fields. The program achieved remarkable success, reflected in the valuable feedback shared by students and Zain's partners, further underscoring the importance of continuing and expanding this initiative to meet the evolving aspirations of future generations.
