SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)
A month after opening its doors on Saadiyat Island, Zayed National Museum is working with teachers across the UAE to turn its galleries and gardens into an extension of the classroom for visiting school groups.
Speaking to Aletihad on the International Day of Education, marked annually on January 24, Nassra Al Buainain, Director of the Learning and Public Engagement Department at Zayed National Museum, discussed the vision behind the museum’s new school programmes and its broader role as a learning space for students of all ages.
“Research and collaboration with educators is a vital part of the development of the school programmes. At Zayed National Museum, we aim to be accessible to all and an important resource and source of knowledge for students across the country,” she said.
Al Buainain explained that the programmes were developed through extensive collaboration with teachers from schools registered under the Ministry of Education and the Department of Education and Knowledge, as well as professors from the Higher Colleges of Technology, to ensure the content aligns with national curricula.
To support this work, the museum also set up a Teacher Advisory Group, bringing together educators from public and private schools. Over two years, workshops and structured feedback sessions were held to ensure that “the final output is both in line with the curricula of the different school systems and is also relevant and age-appropriate throughout”.
The school offerings are part of the museum’s broader Learning and Public Engagement offering, designed to promote engagement with the UAE’s rich culture and empower students “to reflect on shared values, connect the past with the present and recognise their role in safeguarding heritage for the future”.
The initiative runs throughout the academic year and caters to a range of age groups, combining classroom knowledge with hands-on, thematic learning. The sessions, each linked to the themes of the galleries and outdoor spaces, cover topics such as the country’s natural environment, history and heritage, all anchored in the vision of the UAE’s Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
Among them is Baba Zayed, which introduces students to the life, values and legacy of Sheikh Zayed through interactive tours and storytelling.
Al Buainain also highlighted the Little Explorer exhibition, which supports environmental awareness by “fostering a meaningful connection with nature through play-based exploration” in areas such as Al Masar Garden.
Unearthing History, meanwhile, allows students to explore archaeological narratives and understand why “safeguarding heritage is a shared responsibility”.
On the occasion of the International Day of Education, Al Buainain expressed her pleasure at seeing growing numbers of school groups visit the museum.
“It has been such a privilege to see the students come through the doors of Zayed National Museum and take part in our workshops and activities,” she said, expressing hope that the museum’s educational programmes will continue to grow and reach students from schools across the UAE.
Beyond formal school visits, the museum’s educational remit also extends to families, university students and adult visitors.
The permanent galleries cover themes such as the UAE’s landscape and wildlife, archaeological discoveries, maritime and trading history and the country’s place in a wider cultural region, presented through objects, film, sound and interactive stations designed to prompt questions and conversation among visitors of all ages.