BP Discover Club opened at Al Mezhir Model School

The Club, which occupies a separate building on campus, is divided into four areas focussing on researching via the Internet, a closed circuit TV room for improving students interviewing skills, a language laboratory for questions and answers and a special projects cubicle.

The money for the facility was raised by BP Middle East by auctioning off its old PCs to staff during a recent upgrade of its computer systems worldwide. The money raised by the auction was then equalled by a further contribution from BP Middle East itself. Education materials and learnings from BP's Global Education Service were also contributed to the Club.

Tim Bingham, regional general manager of Air BP who represented BP at the opening ceremony, said: "The Model School's modern curriculum encourages learning through discovery and interactive communication, qualities that BP strongly believes in. We also believe that companies such as BP should be actively involve in our local community and are very grateful for the enthusiasm which principal Fatima Al Hai and her team have shown for this forward-thinking initiative."

Some of the money raised by BP staff was also donated to building a gymnasium at the Jumeira Model School.

"BP have been generous in supporting the goals of the Models schools in Dubai to provide a rich environment for learning, which is a responsibility of the whole society," said Fatima Al Hai, the head of Al Mezhir Model School.

The UAE Model Schools were an initiative developed in 1999 at the instigation of the UAE Ministry of Education and there are currently four such schools in Abu Dhabi, four in Al Ain, two each in Dubai and Sharjah and one in Ajman.