‘Canon On The Road’ To Inspire Students In The Region To Become The Next Generation Story-Tellers

Canon Middle East (CME), a provider of imaging technologies and services, will be rolling out the ‘Canon on the Road’ programme across the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), and Lebanon. The programme is aligned with CME’s vision of supporting educational initiatives in the region by encouraging youth to interact with technologies of the future and build a learning environment that places an emphasises on new digital imaging innovations and original content creation.

The ‘Canon on the Road’ programme is targeted for youth aged between 11-14 years old and aims to deliver solutions in line with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number four to increase access to quality, innovation-driven education to students. Initiatives like this will support a generation of youth to be better equipped at meeting the needs of our world in the future, and to lead successful lives with rewarding professional careers.

To roll-out the programme to youth, Canon is partnering with several schools, educational centres and malls and within each participating entity, ‘Canon on the Road’ will feature four interactive zones which include: Canon Academy Junior, Social Media, Printing, and Environment. All four zones will be instructed by professionals on each subject matter.

To kick-off ‘Canon on the Road’ and introduce youth to the programme, Canon partnered with KidZania® in The Dubai Mall in Dubai, UAE, to host two three-hour public sessions on 28^th July starting at 3:00PM and at 6:30PM respectively. A third session will be held on 19^th August at KidZania® to celebrate International Photography Day. The KidZania® sessions will be based on a first come, first served bases.

Mai Youssef, Corporate Communications & Marketing Services Director, ‎Canon Middle East and Central and North Africa, said: “Canon on the Road is a very unique, one-of-a-kind programme because of the way it approaches education through new teaching methods which address topics that are relevant for the future. By giving youth the opportunity to learn about some of the new technologies available through interactive, hands-on experiences will enhance their talents and allow them to complete a successful educational journey. While the ‘Canon on the Road’ programme touches on many important digital elements, it also recognises significant topics, such as cybersecurity and the environment, to give a well-rounded, holistic approach to acquiring knowledge and skills.”

“Access to quality education is a global challenge as outlined by the UN’s SDGs, and by supporting current curriculums through initiatives that give access to future technologies in schools, we are addressing the steps needed to transform education to become more relevant to today’s generation of youth,” added Mai.

Canon Academy Junior will highlight the art of photography through a storytelling approach whereby the students will learn how to take their own photo and create a social media story using their own imagination and creativity for the visuals and caption. The session will also feature universally significant topics that address how to be safe online while using social media tools, with an emphasis on safely sharing content and quelling any instances of bullying.

The Printing zone which will showcase the various printing technologies developed by Canon to give students the opportunity to choose between Canon’s Pixma, Selphy and Zoemini printers to bring the images they shot during the Canon Academy Junior session to life. The students would have by then created a project that is entirely developed using their own imagination and original content from start to finish to further instil confidence in their work.

The programme concludes with an emphasis on the current state of our environment, how to print responsibly, the importance of eco certification, recycling and reusing printing products, and why waste segregation is important for the recycling process as it feeds into the shift toward a sustainable circular economy.

Schools in the region that are interested in participating in the ‘Canon on the Road’ programme can contact the Canon team on events@canon-me.com.

Over the last several years, Canon has undertaken a series of initiatives that promote and support education across the region, and the organisation will continue building on these programmes. Last year Canon held a fundraising event, the Canon Day of Giving, to support two educational programmes with the aim of helping shape future citizens by providing children with access to primary education. More recently in Saudi Arabia, Canon partnered with Nafham, a free online crowdsourced educational platform, to create the innovative photography and film making online course, ‘Hekayet Sora.’ These initiatives are an integral part of Canon’s corporate the philosophy of kyosei, which means ‘living and working together for the common good.’