Despite the war.. an educational project from Gaza wins second place in the Arab world

The 'Smart Gaza Bag' project from Kafr Qasim Secondary School in western Gaza won second place in the 'Let's Innovate' competition for entrepreneurship and innovation across the Arab world for 2026, held in Jordan. The project responds to electricity and internet challenges in Gaza through an innovative educational bag that includes tablets, educational applications, augmented reality technologies, and artificial intelligence, designed by school principal Yasmine Al-Tarshawi and her students.

The 'Smart Gaza Bag' project, affiliated with Kafr Qasim Secondary School in the Directorate of Education west of Gaza, won second place in the 'Let's Innovate' competition for entrepreneurship and innovation across the Arab world for 2026, held in Jordan. The project came in response to the challenges posed by difficult educational conditions in the Gaza Strip, foremost among them electricity and internet crises, as its idea is to provide an innovative educational bag that allows students and teachers to continue the educational process flexibly and independently, especially during emergencies. The bag includes basic educational tools, from pens and notebooks, along with electronic components including a tablet or mobile phone containing various educational platforms and applications. The bag relies on modern technologies including virtual laboratories and alternative experiments, augmented reality technologies, and artificial intelligence tools, in addition to blended, in-person, and digital education. It also includes a teacher's guide for emergencies, ready-made lesson plans, educational applications, augmented reality tools, and interactive digital lessons. The project idea originated from school principal Ms. Yasmine Al-Tarshawi, who supervised the project, with participation from Ms. Nesma Barakat in follow-up, along with students Layan Ismail, Tala Nawas, Ilham Qunita, Rahaf Abu Hatab, and Jana Abu Riyala. This achievement reflects the ability of students and educational staff in the Gaza Strip to innovate educational solutions that suit emergency conditions, despite the repercussions of war and displacement.