For the ninth year in a row, the annual Al Baik Coca Cola Young Scientists Competition kicked off with an invitation for all the science loving students interested in ‘Saving Our Natural Resources’ to participate. Launched under the supervision of the Ministry of Education and in cooperation with the Jeddah Science and Technology Center, the Al Baik Coca-Cola Young Scientists Competition was officially launched during a press conference held at the Hilton Hotel in Jeddah on April 12, 2006.
The conference agenda included a brief introduction on the program history and objectives presented by Eng. Rami Abu Ghazaleh, CEO of Al Baik Foods Systems Ltd this was followed by a commentary by Mr. Abdullah Al Saywed Deputy Director of the Students Affairs Department in the Ministry of Education in Jeddah, on the importance of motivating our students’ onwards to excellence and helping them explore their potential within the scientific realm. Participation regulations, upcoming activities, competition timelines and other key points on the competition were presented by the program coordinator, to the attendees that included media and student activity supervisors from the various schools in Jeddah.
The annual event, considered one of the pioneering science programs launched in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the benefit of the youth, gives the participants an opportunity to excel in a field that brings together education with innovation and creativity. The competition is open to school students between the ages of 10 to 18 years and is judged by a panel made up of professors from King Abdulaziz University and officials from the Ministry of Education in Jeddah. The selection criteria for the competition include six main components: simplicity of the invention, originality, uniqueness, ease of operation, performance efficiency and design excellence. Students will also be asked to attend an interview with the judging panel for a final assessment of their invention.
This year’s prizes for the Al Baik Coca-Cola Young Scientists Competition include: Grand Prize winner will receive an all expense paid trip (+ legal guardian) for a period of 5 days – to participate in a volunteer program at the Dubai Children’s Museum + cash prize of SR 5,000 (to be received upon return from the trip). First Place Prize (for the three levels) is an Intel P IV computer laptop. Second Place Prize (for the three levels) Intel P IV desktop computer. Third Place Prize (for the three levels) is a talking dictionary + English language course. The school with the highest number of participating entries (conforming to the competition theme) will also receive a prize and the teacher supervising the grand prize winner student will be awarded a cash prize.
Deadline for the competition entries has been set for the 30th of April 2006 with interviews to be scheduled with the judging committee the following week. The winners will be announced during a finale event hosted at the Jeddah Science and Technology Center on the 11th of May 2006, the event is open all participants and their families.
“We are keen to continue giving the necessary support to our youth in identifying their potential and seeking to further make the world we live in a better place. When the Al Baik Coca Cola Young Scientists Competition kicked off nine years ago we set a goal to insure its continuation and development for the benefit of the students, paving the way for them to be innovative in the world of science.” Stated Eng. Rami Abu-Ghazaleh. “Today we are striving to continue working with all parties to insure of the competition sustainability and growth, this is our duty to our youth, a mission that we’ve started together and hope to see progressing to the fullest capabilities and opportunities.”
The Young Scientists competition is an annual educational program created and organized in full by Al Baik and Coca Cola in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and the Jeddah Science and Technology Center. It is an innovative learning program geared towards encouraging students from across the Kingdom to develop their creative and intellectual skills.
