The third cycle of ESCWA Digital Arabic Content Award for Sustainable Development resulted with seven (7) winner projects and two (2) special mention projects. The results were announced during the Arab Forum for Sustainable Development 2024 in two categories - Institutions and Young Entrepreneurs.
The evaluation process was conducted in two phases by a Jury committee composed of 20 regional experts, 9 in the Institutions category and 11 in the Young Entrepreneurs category. Digital projects were evaluated through the Award platform provided by the World Summit Awards, after an initial screening based on the rules and conditions that get set and revised for each cycle by the Award Steering Committee. The evaluation criteria cover content and innovation, technical aspects and strategic values and developmental impact, and their weights are pre-defined and integrated in the Award platform.
WINNER PROJECTS
The Award's winner projects for the Institutions and Young Entrepreneurs categories are listed below (in alphabetical order):
Institutions
Ayn Platform (منصة عين), Oman: Ayn is a digital audio and visual media content in Oman, and it is a video-on-demand platform that includes a wide range of content, documentaries, radio and television programmes, live broadcast of radio and television channels, exclusive works, and content for children.
BravoBravo app (براڤوبراڤو) on Apple store and Google play, United Arab Emirates: BravoBravo enables schools, teachers and parents to engage in enhancing students' learning experience through encouraging practice and simplifying assessment. It streamlines school assessment and provides a real-time evaluation tool. Students learn Arabic while playing a game comprised of questions, and teachers save time through automated assessments and assignments.
Ofoq platform (أُفق), Palestine: Supports education through providing models for enhancing student's knowledge and skills of critical thinking and communication, and employing teaching strategies that are based on projects and drama. The models include Experiential Learning Objects (xLOBs) for teachers; Independent Learning Objects (iLOBs) for online learning; and Learning Projects (LPs) for extracurricular activities. An interview on the platform is available through the link.
Young Entrepreneurs
Almnssa alarabya (المنصة العربية), Palestine: Is a leading platform for assisting Arab merchants in establishing and managing their online stores. It provides integrated services and direct technical support and offers a free trial to encourage adoption by potential clients. An interview on the platform is available through the link.
Huroof project - Loghati (حُروف), Lebanon: It is an educational toolkit to help children learn Arabic letters without any visual or auditory confusions between letters. It follows a multisensory approach and uses different modalities and contains stories for each letter with mental images that help the child remember the shape and sound of the letter. It also contains animated videos for each story and interactive digital worksheets. An interview on the project is available through the link.
Kolona Ummahat platform (كلنا أمهات), United Arab Emirates: It connects between Arab mothers around the world and experts in the areas they need for career development in parallel to their responsibilities. It provides educational content that includes videos, articles, publications and workshops; and it offers access to professional consultations and a training programme on writing in Arabic content. An interview on the platform is available through the link.
Lenabtaker Platform (لنبتكر), Jordan: It is a leading learning management system for schools and focuses on providing programs, resources, and tools and on promoting entrepreneurship and innovation among students. It establishes entrepreneurship and innovation clubs in schools and offers accredited curricula to empower students, towards a next generation of innovators and leaders. An interview on the platform is available through the link.
SPECIAL MENTION PROJECTS
The Award's special mention was given to two projects, as follows:
Institutions
Soundeals Platform (سونديلز), United Arab Emirates: It is a pioneering platform in the audio and digital content industry, offering remote job opportunities and training for content creators. It also fosters skill development, provides consultation services for entrepreneurs, and facilitates marketing through influencers and exclusive content sales. Soundeals won the Award in its first cycle and has since received updates and developments to its process and methodology towards better content, services, quality and communication.
Young Entrepreneurs
Come to Palestine (يلا معانا ع فلسطين), Palestine: It is a cultural and touristic initiative to introduce viewers to various landmarks of Palestine, in an adventurous and creative manner, and it is available on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. The initiative produces documentary episodes, videos, and high-resolution images using various techniques, including 360-degree views.
More information on the Award and Winners is available in the booklet Winners 2024.