The Al-Hadi Foundation for Hearing and Visual Impairment, Language and Communication Disorders launched the Skills Builder programme, a step aimed at developing students' abilities and strengthening their life and learning skills.
A phased implementation plan was adopted covering several stages. First, a working team of three specialists was formed to manage the programme. As part of the Foundation's efforts to introduce the programme to the various parties, a series of meetings was held with the school council, the supervisors and the guidance department, in addition to briefing the general and specialist coordination team on the programme to ensure careful follow-up during the school year. Meetings were also held with parents within various seminars, meetings and events to introduce them to the programme's aims and importance.
For the students, introductory leaflets were distributed across all the Foundation's departments, floors and playgrounds and during celebrations, and two main skills were chosen to work on during the year: “the problem-solving skill” and “the adaptability skill”. Teachers ran assessment forms to measure students' levels in these two skills.
The Foundation also ran a survey to measure the working team's understanding of the programme, and the results were analyzed and some points re-explained to ensure clarity of vision and efficient implementation.
The past period saw a number of activities supporting the programme, among them the second Gifted Pupils Festival, the science projects, and Arab Deaf Day, with activities continuing through the end-of-year celebrations.
In a step toward developing the programme, new members were appointed to the programme committee for the coming year, and an introductory meeting was held to brief them on the next steps, in which the target skills will be embedded in the teaching plans across all classes and subjects.
This programme comes as part of the Al-Hadi Foundation's efforts to provide a comprehensive learning environment that meets the needs of students with hearing and visual impairments and supports their academic and social development.
