American University of Sharjah (AUS) Student Leadership Program (SLP) held its third Leaders Edutainment Day on Wednesday, October 17. The event caters to freshmen registered in the Emerging Leaders Program and aims to develop various leadership skills through basic, fun and interactive games between freshmen and other students. 

The event started with an icebreaking session led by Team Leaders and Peer Leaders as they discussed topics related to hobbies, favorite sports, books and lifestyle. Following this were sessions of intense leadership games created to develop leadership skills with three strategies in mind: critical thinking, team building and communication. Students got the opportunity to interact with new students, work in a team and understand the importance of effective communication. The event also emphasized on character development through motivational leadership games. This allowed students to network with their peers and find ways to complete tasks in a timely manner. 

"This event was such a wonderful experience! I learned so much about working with a partner and with a group, which helped to enhance my leadership skills as well as my communication skills. The whole event was great fun, and there were so many fantastic people that I met," said Ala Mokhtar, a freshman student majoring in accounting.

"Leaders Edutainment Day was an evening well spent. Through the very simple yet effective and useful activities, I learnt vital factors such as trust, teamwork, creativity and time management, all of which form excellent characteristics of a leader. In addition, I've had the privilege of meeting several university students and making new friends who share similar interests as me and aspire to be active members in the university's community and society as a whole. Having experienced this event, I would definitely recommend it to others and would love to repeat it," said Menna Khalil, a freshman student majoring in finance.

"The Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) is a unique program offered through the Student Leadership Program; it focuses on freshmen leadership development and helps connect students with campus life. We initiated the Leaders Edutainment Day (LED) last year and it proved to be popular amongst freshmen. It is an enjoyable event yet it focuses on the development of teambuilding skills through a series of interactive exercises, games, and group discussions. Through LED, we aim to increase students' confidence and ability to deal with challenges and establish a sense of cooperation and trust between team members. 

Students get to put in practice their communication skills and learn the basics of teamwork, which is essential when dealing with the community at large; we encourage more freshmen to join the ELP and take advantage of programs we are offering," said Dr. Moza Al Shehhi, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs.