Dubai Cares, part of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, has announced the third edition of its Distinguished Philanthropic Award in Schools, which will run from November 2017 to March 2018.

The initiative, in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), invites students from public and private schools across the UAE to develop and put into action innovative and effective fund-raising concepts aimed at providing children affected by conflicts, epidemics and natural disasters with an opportunity to catch up with their education.

Commenting on the launch of the initiative for this year, Tariq Al Gurg, Chief Executive Officer at Dubai Cares said, "As we look forward to marking 2018 as ‘the Year of Zayed’, Dubai Cares is proud to launch the third edition of its Distinguished Philanthropic Award in Schools in the UAE in memory of our founding father; the late Sheikh Zayed. We all know that Sheikh Zayed’s giving nature extends far beyond the UAE; it is felt all around the world.

"His legacy will certainly spark enthusiasm among participating students towards philanthropy and humanitarian work. Through this Award, our goal is to strengthen our ties with all UAE-based schools and students, as well as raise awareness around the obstacles preventing underprivileged children and young people in developing countries from receiving a quality education."

The Award includes two categories: The Young Philanthropists Award and The Philanthropic School Award. Upon registration, each school has the choice to select one or both award categories. The Young Philanthropists Award recognises the group of students with the most creative fundraising projects, while the Philanthropic School Award rewards the school that raises the highest amount of funds.

"The Dubai Cares Distinguished Philanthropic Award in Schools aims to challenge students to think creatively and innovatively, while also instilling a sense of philanthropy and entrepreneurship to make them future change-makers and leaders. We look forward to seeing this year inspire bright ideas and solutions to help more children and young people have access to quality education in countries affected by emergencies and protracted crises. The Award has received tremendous success in the previous two editions, and we hope that the participation level grows even further," added Amal Al Redha, Director of Fundraising at Dubai Cares.

In 2017, the first, second and third place winners in the Philanthropic School Award category were Dubai National School, GEMS Modern Academy and the Kindergarten Starters, respectively. In the Young Philanthropists Award category, the first, second and third place winner teams were from Al Jurf Secondary School, GEMS Royal Dubai School and Primus Private School, respectively.