Under The Patronage Of H.H. Sheikh Theyab Bin Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan

·      H.H. Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed: We strive to empower society with the best tools to enhance early childhood sector

·      H.H. Sheikh Theyab: Abu Dhabi is committed to provide high quality services to achieve positive child development outcomes

·      Her Excellency Jameela bint Salem Al Muhairi: Early childhood is a future national incubator for qualified and competent human resources

·      Her Excellency Sara Awad Issa Musallam: “Takween” will play an integral role in stimulating brain development in children to learn and explore

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince’s Court and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority, the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA) announced, today, the launch of the ‘Takween’ Summer Program.

As part of its strategic goal in supporting optimal child development and creating a robust ecosystem to the ‘Takween’ Summer Program aims to ensure parents, caregivers, and children under the age of eight have access to appropriate services in order to achieve the comprehensive development of their children and work for their well-being. 

‘Takween’ Summer Program is a partnership with the Ministry of Education, Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK), as well as several major national and international companies. The program consists of numerous integrated developmental, educational, recreational initiatives and activities that aim to provide support for children, parents, and caregivers.

His Highness Sheikh Theyab affirmed Abu Dhabi’s enthusiasm to achieve sustainable development in the early childhood sector, advance provided services and its continuous endeavor to improve the quality of life in various sectors, develop a comprehensive human capital strategy, enhance skills of national capabilities to contribute to the growing economy through various strategic plans and programs. Additionally, ECA is committed to develop a strong foundation to build a knowledge-based economy especially in the areas of early childhood, a positive and advanced environment characterized by proactive communication and effective practices to enable parents and caregivers and thus provide the optimal child development.

His Highness added that the ‘Takween’ Summer Program considers the strategic pillars that ECA is built upon in collaboration with strategic partners to enrich early childhood sector. The program will also establish the foundation for a comprehensive development approach targeting all segments of society, to define the importance of early childhood in the early ages and enhance parental capabilities to support development of their children and ensure their well-being. The summer program also aims to promote positive behaviors that can benefit children, highlighting the UAE’s efforts and significant role in providing a strong foundation for children to develop and flourish through offering high-quality services.

On this occasion, Her Excellency Jameela bint Salem Al Muhairi, Minister of State for Public Education, reaffirmed the active role of the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority, saying: “The Authority spares no efforts to provide all aspects of support and care for holistic early childhood development.”

Her Excellency added: “We value our partnership with the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Development especially when it comes to training caregivers. The Ministry in collaboration with its partners, has made promising strides in the early childhood sector in line with the directives of our wise leadership and UAE national agenda that gives early childhood a top priority.

Educational directives at a global level prioritize quality early childhood education as a critical stage in developing students’ tendencies and expanding their potentials in line with the development requirements of each country. Therefore, early childhood is viewed as a future national incubator for qualified and competent human resources in all areas.”

Her Excellency Sara Awad Issa Musallam, Chairperson of the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge, said: “We are extremely proud of government efforts in Abu Dhabi, which aim to expand children’s potentials and enhance their knowledge at an early stage. There is no doubt that the ‘Takween’ Summer Program will play a vital role in stimulating brain development in children to learn, explore, and fully prepare them for the next state of their educational journey.”

Her Excellency added: “Our strategic partnership with the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority support our vision in the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge to enable minds and provide an integrated education system and quality education services to all students from day one at school and university to meet Abu Dhabi’s market needs, boosting the prosperity of the emirate.”

The ‘Takween’ Summer Program will include various initiatives and activities such as, 146 training workshops for staff working at nurseries as well as parents being hosted by a group of leading experts. Under the theme “We Work for a Better Future”, the workshop aims to train workforce at nurseries and introduce them to best practices especially during the pandemic.

Additionally, as part of “Takween” Summer Program, two programs designed to serve and support families. One for families with children of determination and the other for all families in general titled “Motherhood and Parenthood during COVID 19 and Beyond”. The program includes 12 training plans per week with goals to provide credible and safe sources for parents and caregivers to maximize summer vacation benefits. Participants will receive certificates of achievement upon completion of the program. 

“Takween” program will also include: Lamsa Summer Camp, which aims to foster a culture that encourages positive and healthy use of technology including smart phones and screens and empower parents and caregivers with innovative tools to develop children’s capabilities. The Camp will provide parents and their children interactive recreational, educational and entertainment activities that are free of charge until the end of 2020.

The Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority invites families, caregivers and ECA related workforce to participate in ‘Takween’ Summer Program and benefit from all provided services and activities through visiting parents interactive platform, which was launched earlier by the Authority, available at  www.eca.gov.ae or calling Abu Dhabi Government Services at 800555. ECA also encouraged parents and caregivers to visit the platform to enhance their experiences, develop skills of their children to grow and flourish in a safe and family-friendly environment, and to ensure the optimal use of the summer holiday.

The Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority oversees the early childhood development sector in the capital with a mind that is committed to the highest standards and ensure that parents and caregivers have access to appropriate services to support optimal child development.