Saudi scouts showcase impressive passion for STEM at international jamboree in US
RIYADH: Saudi scouts taking part in the 3rd International Muslim Scouts Jamboree in the US have stood out when it comes to science, technology, engineering and mathematics, a Saudi Press Agency (SPA) report said on Friday.
A delegation from the Saudi Arabian Scouts Association (SASA) are among the participants in the week-long summer camp being held at Camp Strake in Houston, Texas, which opened on June 30 and will end on July 6. The jamboree is organized by the National Islamic Committee on Scouting under the supervision of Boy Scouts of America.
On Thursday, the activities included a competition in the basics of electrical and electronic engineering and designing robots using specialized software and hardware, including automatically and logically controlling the robot’s movements.
Aside from showing passing in STEM activities, the Saudi delegation also showed passion in developing their research and innovation skills, the report said.
Scouts participating in the jamboree also received training on the best way to safely drive motorcycles. They compete in scouting leadership and ways to build gates, flagpoles, fences and bridges using wood, along with the correct use of knots, ties and loops to fix them in place, as well as in building cooking ovens and are taught the correct way to light fires.
Other activities listed in the summer camp include visiting NASA in Houston, workshops, and exploring hobbies such as canoeing, swimming and climbing. Leaders of the Saudi Arabian Scouts Association said the group participates in the global camp “to highlight the Kingdom’s role in the Islamic world, promote values of love and peace, showcase the Kingdom and its progress, and facilitate cultural exchange and learning about civilizations.”
On Tuesday, scout leader Syed Ehtesham Naqvi, president of the US National Islamic Committee on Scouting, took the occasion to commend the efforts and services provided by the Saudi government to serve Muslim pilgrims, Umrah performers, and visitors to the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah, facilitating their performance of rituals.
He made the remarks when he visited the Saudi scouting delegation on the third day of the jamboree at Camp Strake, SPA said in a separate report.
Meeting with the delegation led by SASA Vice President Abdurrahman bin Ibrahim Al-Mudaires, Naqvi also commended the Saudi scouts for their role in serving pilgrims.
While scouting was officially founded in Saudi Arabia in 1961, scouting activities in the Kingdom started as early as 1943, according to writings about the international movement.
