The Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (TRA) will launch the 2nd TRA Innovation Camp next July (17) and will last until August (18), which intends to spread development and creativity culture among young students, through a set of activities and targeted events throughout the UAE.

The camp, which will get kids from age 6 years to 17, aims to spread the culture of development and imagination especially in communications and infotech (ICT) along with promoting a reading culture among them through a set of group activities which will assist the students develop their skills and mindset to deal with specific concerns in life and allow them to offer innovative solutions to these challenges that they may face in the future. The activities are also set to train and discipline them on how to manage their emotions and different feelings, help them earn self confidence, gain emotional intelligence and become more flexible.

The events are likewise concentrated on training the individuals to obtain a favorable behavior to their families, good friends and coworkers-- discover the best ways to interact and organize themselves as well as establish the desire to innovate, discover and engage in creative work. These abilities will help the trainees develop a bright future for them, in line with the nation's sustainable advancement plans.

The camp organizes a set of cultural activities developed to support the 2016 'Year of Reading' in response to the directives of H.H. Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi and H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai to develop reading as a social practice.

H.E. Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, Director General, TRA, stated: "The success of the very first summer camp has actually triggered us to list the event as an annual activity specifically that it was highly appreciated by Emirati families and residents. In addition, the effort falls into one of TRA's key strategies which support and promote the development culture in information technology (IT) and telecoms among the Emirati youth, following the instruction of H. H. Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE to establish an environment that promotes innovation and make UAE a leader in this field."

" Investing in the future residents of the country and help them build an informed Emirati generation is a priority in our social responsibility programs. This camp is a chance to support the young generation to show their skills in innovation and development and provide their concepts, which the TRA will highly consider if they are useful and relevant," H.E. Al Mansoori included.

The camp activities will include IT, creative and life skills, sports, personality evaluation and planning the future in addition to field trips. The students will also be assisted in implementing what they have learned to gain a practical experience through collaborative and creative projects, as well as organizing a cultural meeting to discuss a set of chosen books in support of the Year of Reading.

The first TRA Summer Innovation Camp was held last year following the directives of H. H. Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan to instill innovation culture among the youth of different ages. The activities were focused on telecommunications, IT and advanced technology such as robot, mobile apps, safe internet use and other smart technologies. To enrich the students personality and life skills, the camp also provided opportunities for driving, towers building, and sessions on eating healthy food and financial management.