Five of the best schools from Dubai and Abu Dhabi showcased their creative and critical thinking at the Tournament of Minds 2024
There’s no doubt about it, some of the best schools in Dubai and Abu Dhabi are doing well at competitions across the region.
This trend continued when Brighton College Dubai recently hosted the UAE regionals of the Tournament of Minds (TOM), a prestigious Australian educational competition aimed at enhancing pupils’ critical and creative thinking skills.
Some of the best UAE schools compete in prestigious educational tournament
Five schools from Dubai and Abu Dhabi participated in this year’s event, with over 90 pupils forming 13 teams.
The competition fostered a spirit of collaboration and friendly rivalry as pupils tackled spontaneous and long-term challenges with global and topical themes.
Participating schools included American Academy for Girls, Brighton College Abu Dhabi, Brighton College Dubai, Dubai British School Jumeirah Park, and Private International English School Abu Dhabi.
Each institution demonstrated a strong commitment to nurturing their pupils’ creative and critical thinking abilities.
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After six weeks of rigorous preparation, the winners were announced. In the Social Sciences Primary category, Brighton College Dubai’s Brighton Clash took first place, and Dubai British School Jumeirah Park’s Primary GenJP earned honours.
In the STEM Primary category, Private International English School’s Primary Team secured first place, while Brighton College Dubai’s Brighton Saviours received honours.
In the STEM Senior category, Dubai British School Jumeirah Park’s JPGeniuses claimed first place, with honours going to Brighton College Dubai’s STEMinists.
Sarah Brannon, UAE Director of Tournament of Minds and Head of Prep at Brighton College Dubai, praised the event’s success:
“Brighton College is proud to have hosted the Tournament of Minds for another year!
“It’s events like these that provide an incredible opportunity for pupils to engage in innovative thinking and collaborative problem-solving.
“It was inspiring to see young minds tackle complex challenges with such enthusiasm and skill – their dedication has been truly remarkable.
“A big congratulations to all the participants for their hard work and the winners for their exceptional achievements.”
What is Tournament of Minds?
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Throughout the competition, teams worked independently to develop creative solutions within predetermined parameters.
In the STEM challenge, teams designed exotic birds to “fly” freely without support, addressing a scenario where an island lost all its birds, impacting tourism. For the Social Sciences challenge, teams tackled a time convergence scenario, linking events from different eras and exploring their impact on the modern world.
The Tournament of Minds is renowned for its dynamic approach to education, promoting experimentation and problem-solving among talented pupils.
Teams participate in disciplines such as STEM, The Arts, Language Literature, and Social Sciences, evaluated on creativity, scientific understanding, technology use, application of STEM principles, design and construction, presentation skills, and overall performance.
TOM aligns with international curricula, encouraging critical and creative thinking and equipping participants with essential skills for the evolving world.
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