GE volunteers support You Can B! innovation camp organised by Injaz UAE in Dubai

GE Volunteers, the internal organisation of GE promoting the spirit of volunteerism, joined hands with Injaz UAE, a member of Junior Achievement (JA) Worldwide, the world’s largest non-profit business education organization, to conduct an innovation camp held under the theme ‘You Can B!.’

The one-day camp held for students aged 15 to 19 years from around the UAE at Knowledge Village Dubai was focused on promoting the values of entrepreneurship and driving work readiness in the participants. The event challenged students to find innovative ways to a business challenge using critical thinking, teamwork, and communication & leadership skills. Ten GE Volunteers assisted Injaz UAE in setting up the day’s activities with two members serving as judges of the innovative solutions created by the students.

Elliot Lewis of GE Volunteers said: “One of the central pillars of GE’s operations is a focus on innovation. We were therefore extremely pleased to work on the Injaz UAE camp for students. On one hand, we were partnering in a noble initiative aimed at strengthening student skills, and on the other, we were part of the process of instilling in them the value of innovative thinking. The event indeed was a perfect fit to the objective of GE Volunteers to take part in initiatives that make meaningful change to the society we live in.”

‘You Can B!’ offered a roster of activities aimed at engaging the students in brainteasers and learning with a corporate mentor. The event aspired to expand the horizons of the participants and direct their thinking towards an entrepreneurial future in a fun way.

Injaz UAE is a partnership between the business community, educators and volunteers —working together to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy. Its programs are supported by nearly 20 corporations from the UAE business community. Since 2006, INJAZ-UAE has reached more than 6,000 students in 15 UAE schools through 547 volunteers.

GE is a member of the regional Injaz Al Arab board and globally has representation on the Junior Achievement board - working to inspire the next generation. In the UAE, GE has earlier partnered with Injaz UAE to deliver the JA Success Skills program, an experience that led GE Volunteers to continuously step forward to mentor at Injaz UAE Innovation Camps throughout 2010. Volunteerism is a vibrant part of GE’s culture, as both an individual employee activity as well as an organizational effort.