MUSCAT: OQ, the global energy investment group, concluded the first edition of the "Steps" Programme, implemented by Outward Bound Oman in partnership with the Ministry of Education, during a closing ceremony held at Outward Bound Oman’s headquarters in Al Seeb.
The event was held under the auspices of Dr. Intisar bint Abdullah al Ambosaidi, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Education for Educational Support Programmes and was attended by representatives of the partner organisations, participating students and parents.
The programme is one of OQ’s social investment programmes, designed to support school students in developing their character and strengthening their leadership and life skills. Through experiential learning and hands-on educational experiences, the programme fostered self-confidence and teamwork while preparing students for future opportunities in line with the objectives of Oman Vision 2040.
The ceremony opened with a speech by Maha al Balushi, Business Development Manager at Outward Bound Oman, who described “Steps” as a national platform for developing students' capabilities and reaffirmed the importance of investing in young people as an investment in Oman’s future. She explained that the program adopted Outward Bound Oman’s experiential learning methodology, enabling participants to take on real-life challenges that strengthened their leadership, communication and teamwork skills while fostering responsibility, initiative, self-reliance and greater awareness of future academic and career pathways.
She added that the programme engaged 240 school students from across Oman through three progressive learning levels designed to meet the needs of different age groups and educational stages. She noted that the programme helped shape participants’ character, strengthen their self-confidence, develop their leadership and life skills and enhance their ability to collaborate effectively and navigate challenges with confidence.
The ceremony also featured a video presentation highlighting the programme’s key milestones, experiential activities, participant challenges, key outcomes achieved throughout its implementation.
Said al Badaai, Head of Social Investment at OQ, said: "Steps embodies OQ Group's vision for social investment, which is centered on nurturing national talent and creating lasting impact for society. Through this program, students experienced a holistic learning journey that empowered them to discover their strengths, build self-confidence and develop the leadership and life skills that will support them throughout their academic and professional futures."
He added: "The program's success reflects the strength of the strategic partnership between OQ Group, the Ministry of Education and Outward Bound Oman. Initiatives like Steps play a vital role in preparing a generation equipped with the skills, confidence and values needed to contribute meaningfully to Oman's continued development”.
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