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New York Times Best-Selling Author, Renowned Speaker and Thought Leader to Empower the Region’s Youth to be Leaders in the 21st Century

Global education practice leader Sean Covey’s first ever Middle East tour to focus on ‘The Leader in Me’ program: creating leaders, one child at a time

UAE, March 18th, 2015 – FranklinCovey Middle East, a global company that specializes in performance improvement of organizations, has announced the first ever visit of world renowned author and motivational speaker Sean Covey to the Middle East. During his pioneering tour, Sean will discuss how The leader In Me whole-school transformation model – developed in partnership with educators – empowers students with the skills they need to thrive in the 21st Century. The Leader In Me, builds on the work of Dr Stephen R Covey’s The 7Habits of Highly Effective People and redefines what school greatness means by focusing on culture, leadership and academics.

Sean Covey, who is also the Executive Vice President Global Solutions and Partnerships and Education Practice Leader of  FranklinCovey, will be visiting Riyadh on March 22nd & 23rd, 2015, Abu Dhabi on March 24th and Dubai on March 25th, 2015.
Today’s changing world has a whole new set of rules, to which our youth will need to adapt. Key skills businesses and educators identified as vital to the futures of today’s students are developed within The Leader in Me process. These skills include: Leadership, Accountability, Adaptability, Initiative and Self-Direction, Cross-Cultural skills, Responsibility, Problem Solving, Communication Skills, Creativity and Teamwork.
‘The Leader in Me’ is a school-wide process that develops staff and students as leaders and thereby transforms the culture and performance of the school. While raising pedagogical standards, The Leader in Me draws on the world-class content of FranklinCovey, including The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, which staff, students and parents adopt as a common language. The Leader in Me schools seamlessly integrate leadership development into their daily curriculum, activities and systems; it becomes the school’s operating system. A school culture is created where every student is encouraged to set and achieve meaningful goals, to be a positive influence on others and to use his or her individual gifts to better the world. ‘The Leader in Me’ process strives ‘to build leaders, one child at a time.’
Sean said, “The Middle East represents a diverse geographic spread and a fantastic opportunity to build on the engagement of students, staff and parents. The education sector in the Middle East is highly viable thanks to a population heavily skewed towards youth. The Leader in Me is producing transformational results in over 2,000 schools worldwide and we are excited to bring the process to the Middle East.
Our vision is that one day our entire community will be impacted with citizens who are lifelong leaders and learners.”
In Riyadh, Sean is set to meet with officials from Saudi Arabia’s Educational sector and large corporate organizations. In the UAE he will meet the principals, teachers and parents from various schools under the Abu Dhabi Education Council in the country’s capital and with deans and senior executives of colleges and universities to be hosted at the American University in Dubai (AUD) to highlight the ‘7 Habits for College Students,’ which will empower them with the tools for achieving success in the future.
Sean graduated from Brigham Young University (BYU) with a degree in English and later earned his MBA from Harvard Business School and is known for writing motivational books for children and teens like Fourth Down and Life to Go: How to Turn Life’s Setbacks into Triumphs as his 1st motivational work published in 1990, The 6 Most Important Decisions You’ll Ever Make: A Guide for Teens, The 7 Habits of Happy Kids, ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens’ which became a New York Times Best Seller.
Sean lives by the common saying, “You’re only young once, but you can be immature forever”, He acknowledges that we only get one chance to prepare our students for a future none of us can predict. But the question is what are we going to do with that one chance?


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The Abu Dhabi Education Marathon Kicks Off at Yas Marina Circuit with 3,000 Students Participating

Abu Dhabi, February 28, 2015 – In the presence of H.E. Dr. Amal Al Qubaisi, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) and Mr. Aref Al Awani Abu Dhabi Sport Council General Secretary, over 3,000 students from Cycle 1 and Cycle 3 schools took part in the Abu Dhabi Education Marathon, as part of ADEC’s Champions of Tomorrow campaign.
The marathon, which was hosted at the Yas Marina Circuit, aims to instill a culture of sports among students and develop a pool of top athletes capable of representing and honoring the UAE in regional and international athletic tournaments.

Her Excellency said: “The marathon is an important event that will help drive the success of the ‘Champions of Tomorrow’ campaign since it represents ADEC’s commitment to providing national teams with talented athletes who will help raise the UAE flag in regional and international sport forums. The wide turnout of the marathon reflects the confidence schools have in the education reform, which continues to add quality initiatives that help support development and competitiveness.”
Mr. Mohammed Salem Al Dhaheri, ADEC’s School Operations Executive Director, added: “The Abu Dhabi Education Marathon is an important addition to our tireless efforts to foster a favorable environment for sports in schools which can help identify and encourage promising talents that can support our national Olympic teams. The broad participation of students and parents along with the educational and social community reflects the effectiveness of this initiative in creating a positive impact in the development of sports across schools in accordance with the highest standards of excellence and professionalism.”
“We are proud of what has been achieved by students who participated in the Abu Dhabi Education Marathon. In line with the vision and directives of our leadership, we are committed to provide the necessary support for the outstanding talents and pave their way to attain the highest quality achievements in the local and the international sporting arenas in the future,” concluded Mr. Al Dhaheri.
The marathon featured a highly competitive field of students aged eight to ten years old for the 1 km run. The second race spanned a distance of 3 km, while students enthusiastically completed the third segment’s 5-km length.
Al Tareq Al Ameri, CEO of Yas Marina Circuit said: “We are delighted to welcome so many budding young athletes to the circuit today.  We work very closely with the local community encouraging all to lead a more active and healthy lifestyle and it is particularly important to see the next generation taking part in sports with such enthusiasm.  Our partnership with ADEC to host this inaugural ADEC Schools Marathon is a great honor for us and we are pleased to be supporting the UAE Government¹s initiative to build a generation of talented athletes.”
Salem Al Odd and Hamda Khaled won first place in the 1K race, while Hazaah Souud and Taif Al Jesmi topped the marathon’s 3K race and Khalif Al Nasri headed the 5K run.
The marathon was not limited to students of Abu Dhabi schools only, but also included an ‘Open Race’ comprising parents, administrative faculty, staff members, and employees from ADEC along with the local community. Moreover, there were other activities conducted within the marathon, including a free art stand, heritage village, challenging games,  walking  the circuit, and Jiu-Jitsu.
ADEC continues to launch quality initiatives under the umbrella of the Champions of Tomorrow campaign, which aims to promote awareness about the importance of sports among schools in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and the Western Region. It also seeks to encourage schools to be more responsible in nurturing sports talents and in establishing it internationally.
The campaign includes a series of sports competitions which will be held in four categories, namely, Mandatory Games (football and athletics), Individual Games (swimming, gymnastics, fencing and judo), Complementary Games (handball, basketball and volleyball), and Competitions and Special events such as racing, cycling, and a beach festival.
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About Abu Dhabi Education Council:
Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) was established in accordance with law No. 24 of 2005, issued by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the UAE President, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces and the Ruler of Abu Dhabi. The Chairman of ADEC is H.H. Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces and the Vice-Chairman is H.H. Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, Minister of Presidential Affairs. The Council seeks to develop education and educational institutions in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, implement innovative educational policies, plans and programs that aim to improve education, and support educational institutions and staff to achieve the objectives of national development in accordance with the highest international standards.
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For more information about ADEC please call its headquarters at +971 (2) 6150 000 or visit our website:
About Yas Marina Circuit:
Yas Marina Circuit is the United Arab Emirates’ most exciting sporting and entertainment multi-purpose venue.  Located on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, the circuit is home to the annual FORMULA 1 ETIHAD AIRWAYS ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX and much more.  In addition to the extensive year-round program of professional and grassroots motorsport events and experiences including Dragand Yas Track Nights, the circuit has emerged as a thriving hub for entertainment and community events in the UAE. As the region’s most technologically advanced facility, the circuit is also a leading MICEvenue, regularly hosting a diverse range of corporate meetings, conferences and events.  Whether you want to experience the thrill of karting at our Kartzone, driving an Aston Martin GT4 at over 200km/hour on an F1 circuit, work towards your racing license at the Yas Racing School, get fit at TrainYasor GoYas, participate in one of our many sporting events, or simply catch up with friends at Yas Central, Yas Marina Circuit truly is The Meeting Place of Champions.