AJMI – Doha

Najla Zayed, a trainee who joined “story writing” course, expressed her dream of writing and narrating stories, emphasizing that “imagination and planning are the secret to the success of any story”. This message reflects the essence of “youth training programs” offered by Al Jazeera Media Institute, which are not limited to developing writing skills, but also extend to creative expression, media presentation, photography, podcast production and enhancing negotiation and persuasion skills, to contribute in general to building a generation equipped with modern media tools.

During July and August, the institute held ten training courses for youth with total participation of 123 trainees aged between eight and sixteen. The courses included interactive practical training supervised by a group of specialized trainers: Salem Al-Jahoushi, Eyad Al-Daoud, Amina Omar, Dr. Rania Al-Jamal, Ahmed Al-Maliki, Sama Al-Saabi, Raghda Jamal, and Rita Khan.

Training programs varied to include story writing, public speaking, photography and editing, podcast production, as well as developing skills in negotiation and persuasion, voice concentration and creative thinking.

With a sincere smile, Najla said that, she had joined youth negotiation skills course with trainer Ahmed Al-Maliki more than a week earlier. She found it very beneficial, which encouraged her to later to enroll in story writing course, alongside her brother who shares her passion for writing stories.

This experiment contributed to developing participants’ technical and professional skills, supporting their self-confidence and ability to express themselves and communicate effectively. The impact of the courses also reflected positively on their daily lives, whether by boosting their confidence or encouraging them to share their experiences with peers.

At the end of “story writing course”, which marked the end of the training series held by the institute earlier in July, Najla Zayed ended her remarks by saying: "I wish everyone would read and benefit," reflecting the impact this experiment had on her and her colleagues, and expressing the importance of providing comprehensive development opportunities for youth in media and creativity.

These courses come as part of a comprehensive vision aimed at empowering youth with the tools of media future in order to prepare an aware and responsible generation, amid this growing interest of youth for participation, which confirms the growing need for such programs.