JEDDAH: Children are learning about the Red Sea through science, environmental research, mapping and robotics at Takween’s STEM summer camp at the Red Sea Museum in Historic Jeddah.
Running until Aug. 29, the camp is designed by Saudi interdisciplinary learning organization Takween, Home of Design & Innovation, which combines science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics with architecture, design and practical projects.
The five-day program brings together subjects that are often taught separately, with participants investigating the marine environment, studying habitats, building models and working with coding and robotics.
“We don’t want kids just learning about science; we want them actually doing it,” said Takween founders Batool Abedi and Zainab Alireza.
“Nobody sat and listened to a lecture. These kids were geologists figuring out how the Red Sea actually formed; they were researchers cataloging real habitats, they built a huge map together by hand, and by the afternoon they were coding a robot to simulate a fish migrating between ecosystems.”
Participants started by examining the geological forces that shaped the Red Sea. A simple demonstration showed how tectonic movement caused the Arabian and African plates to separate, helping them understand how the basin was formed.
They then investigated marine habitats including coral reefs, seagrass meadows, mangroves and open-water environments. Species identification activities encouraged them to look at how organisms adapt to different surroundings.
The children applied what they had learned to a large collaborative map, working in teams to mark coastal cities, coral reef systems, shipping routes, marine protected areas and research stations, alongside different species and habitats.
The activities then moved into coding, with participants programming robots to represent fish moving between mangroves, seagrass areas and coral reefs. The exercise demonstrated how different habitats are connected and how movement between ecosystems supports marine life.
“If a kid can figure something out themselves, we never just tell them,” the founders said. “They guess first, then test it, then we explain. Every time.”
That approach is central to Takween’s project-based learning model, which encourages participants to question, experiment and refine their ideas rather than simply follow predetermined instructions.
Rajwa Abid, a partner at Takween and an architect and creative educator who leads its architecture program, said the organization connects different disciplines to encourage young people to approach challenges from multiple perspectives.
Takween’s programs cover areas including architecture and interior design, marine science, environmental innovation, robotics, physical computing, wearable technology, light and optics, heritage and sustainable cities.
The Red Sea program also seeks to establish an early connection between young people and the marine environment surrounding their communities.
“Because it’s not just any sea to these kids, it’s theirs,” the founders said.
They said introducing environmental issues at an early age can change the way children relate to conservation, particularly when they encounter concepts such as coral bleaching through practical activities rather than solely through textbooks.
“The kids in this room are going to be the ones deciding what the Red Sea looks like in thirty years. We’s just rather they start from curiosity instead of starting from zero,” they said.
Making mistakes is also treated as part of the process.
“I don’t think you nurture a scientist by telling them facts, honestly. You do it by letting them act like a scientist so many times that it just starts to feel normal,” the founders said.
Throughout the program, participants take on different roles, working with scientific investigation, engineering, coding and conservation while developing skills in collaboration, critical thinking, communication and problem solving.
The program also places emphasis on presenting ideas. At the end of the camp, teams are expected to explain their work to an audience and respond to questions about the solutions they have developed.
The founders added: “On the last day, every team doesn’t just build something; they stand up in front of a real audience and defend it. Answer real questions about it. That’s not a bonus activity; that’s the actual skill.”
