Qatar Foundation International (QFI), a private US foundation, is organising an exchange trip to Doha bringing Brazilian and Qatari students together with a National Geographic photo camp.

Twenty-two high school students and six teachers from the Qatar Foundation International-supported Arabic language and culture programs in São Paulo and Curitiba, Brazil, run by BibliASPA, will be paired with students from the Qatar Leadership Academy and Qatar Academy on an educational exploration in Doha from January 19 to 29.

QFI has partnered with National Geographic to integrate a photo camp and teach digital storytelling during the 10-day exchange trip.

In support of the learning objectives, National Geographic photographers and QFI staff will teach students how to use photography and video to communicate their ideas and explore their own communities through the camera’s lens.

In addition to teaching the students these important technical skills, QFI and National Geographic staff will work with the students to reflect on their experiences while in Qatar and turn the raw materials they produce — photos, videos, journal entries, etc. — into digital stories.

The learning objectives of the exchange are designed to give students the skills they need to become globally competent. During the trip, students will learn to investigate the world beyond their immediate environment, recognise their own and others’ perspectives, and communicate their ideas with diverse audiences, a statement said.

Before traveling to Qatar, the students in Brazil will begin interacting with their peers in Doha using Yallah, QFI’s moderated online discussion platform that features hybrid human and machine translation capabilities in Arabic, English, and Portuguese.

Students in Brazil and Qatar will create individual profiles and upload photos and videos to serve as a snapshot of their communities. Once they arrive in Qatar, the Brazilian students will meet the Qatari students they have been corresponding with online and for 10 days they will travel together around Qatar visiting important sites and learning about each other’s cultures and language. – TradeArabia News Service