The Centre was established in the year of innovation 2015 as one of the distinguished initiatives of the Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Medical and Education Sciences, serving as a beacon for discovering and nurturing outstanding talents while fostering a culture of creativity and excellence. Through its programs, the centre identifies, supports, and empowers exceptional talents in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). By providing state-of-the-art facilities, modern resources, and tailored mentoring opportunities, it creates an environment that enables talented individuals to reach their full potential and contribute meaningfully to society. Notably, the centre is accredited by the STEM Foundation as a certified STEM Centre.
Significance of the Centre:
- Unlocking Potential: The centre works to identify and nurture individuals' talents, contributing to developing future leaders.
- Achieving Sustainable Development: By supporting talented and creative individuals, the centre contributes to fostering innovation as a key driver of development.
- Global Collaboration: Building bridges of communication among cultures and nations to support talents and exchange experiences.
Giftedness Ecosystem at the Centre
The giftedness support system at the centre is a comprehensive framework designed to discover, support, and nurture outstanding talents to help them achieve their full potential. This system focuses on delivering inclusive programs and services across various stages and key areas, all integrated to foster creativity and excellence.
Main features of this system:
Discovering Talented Individuals through the Hamdan Giftedness Test
The Hamdan Giftedness Test is one of the most advanced and globally recognized Arabic tools for identifying gifted individuals. It is developed based on the latest scientific theories and best global practices in talent recognition. The foundation has meticulously designed and implemented tools and mechanisms to ensure high-quality assessment for students in public and private education, from Grade 4 to Grade 12, across all schools in the UAE.
Stages of the Hamdan Giftedness Test:
- Inquiry and nomination stage.
- Screening and filtering stage.
- Selection and integration stage.
The Hamdan Giftedness Test has gained significant traction among educational institutions, talent centers, and organizations that support gifted students locally and internationally. Numerous initiatives related to identifying talented students have emerged from partnerships with government and private institutions. These initiatives also include participation in scientific conferences, forums, and the delivery of numerous training workshops on the scale as part of clear strategies to promote a culture of giftedness in society. They leverage modern methods, advanced global practices, and innovative solutions to overcome challenges, ensuring that successful experiences are shared across organizations focused on discovering talented individuals.
Giftedness Welfare Programs
The centre’s programs for supporting gifted individuals are comprehensive educational initiatives aimed at providing the necessary support to develop their abilities and address their unique needs. These initiatives include advanced activities and outstanding learning opportunities that enhance their potential and help them achieve their aspirations, such as:
- Enrichment Programs based on STEM:
These programs address the needs of gifted individuals and foster their creative abilities. - Councling and Guidance:
Academic, psychological, social, and career guidance programs are offered to support gifted individuals. - Practical Learning:
Gifted individuals are involved in practical projects that allow them to apply their skills in real-world environments. - Specialized Workshops:
Workshops are provided in areas such as creative thinking, entrepreneurship, innovation, 21st-century skills, and scientific research methods. - Personal Skills Development Programs:
These programs help gifted individuals enhance leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. - International Programs:
Programs offered by prestigious universities, where the center’s gifted students are enrolled annually.
Awards and Competitions
The centre organizes and participates in local and international competitions to honor gifted individuals and motivate them to achieve greater scientific and technological accomplishments. Examples include:
- Future Science Challenge Competition:
An annual virtual competition organized by the centre to enhance learning principles of artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things. It focuses on multidisciplinary learning methods for gifted students in science and technology. Participants tackle real-world challenges and work on developing innovative scientific solutions. The competition emphasizes scientific research, critical thinking, and teamwork. - FLL (First Lego League) Competition:
An international competition for students in which the centre’s gifted students participate annually. The competition combines creativity, technology, and engineering, focusing on designing and programming robots using LEGO tools to complete specific tasks. It aims to foster collaboration and innovation among participants while developing computational thinking and problem-solving skills in an educational and competitive environment.