Abu Dhabi Civil Defence Expands Bader Educational Awareness Project To Include More Schools

The Abu Dhabi Civil Defence Authority (ADCDA), in partnership with Alef Education, has initiated the second phase of the Bader Educational Awareness Project for 2025–2029. This follows the success of its initial phase from 2021 to 2024, which greatly improved safety awareness among students in Abu Dhabi schools. The new phase aims to broaden its reach to all public and private schools using Alef's resources.

During the first phase, nearly 59,000 students from 357 out of 372 schools participated nationwide. Over 36,000 students completed the programme entirely, covering 96% of targeted schools. An impact assessment revealed a 10.9% improvement in emergency preparedness and a 9.3% boost in self-confidence during emergencies.

The project now targets 180,000 students in Abu Dhabi and another 300,000 across the UAE. It also plans to train 6,000 teachers in Abu Dhabi and an additional 13,000 nationwide. This expansion aims to enhance sustainable preventive awareness within educational settings.

Bader is unique globally as it offers an integrated curriculum covering all educational stages from kindergarten to grade 12. The curriculum includes bilingual interactive content on evacuation procedures, first aid, fire safety, hazardous chemicals, and social responsibility.

The ADCDA has earned several accolades for this innovative project. In 2023, it received the Khalifa Award for Education. The following year, it won the Hamdan bin Rashid Award for Institutions Supporting Education and the Dubai Quality Group – Ideas UAE Award for Best Joint Idea.

The initiative will introduce new lessons annually until reaching a total of 13 lessons per stage by 2029. This approach aims to instil a culture of safety through education while supporting national efforts to develop a generation capable of safeguarding themselves and their communities.

Building Essential Skills

The Authority highlighted that students completing grade 12 will possess vital life skills for emergency response. They will have a thorough understanding of safety concepts and be able to promote awareness within their families and communities.

The project's first phase showed an increase in students' sense of safety by 11.2% and their willingness to share knowledge with peers by 11.7%. These results underscore the programme's effectiveness in fostering a culture of safety among young learners.

With inputs from WAM