The Yas SeaWorld® Research & Rescue Center engages high school students in envisioning a sustainable future for Abu Dhabi 

The Yas SeaWorld® Research & Rescue Center, the largest integrated research, rescue, rehabilitation, and return center in the region, hosted the closing ceremony of the ‘Community of the Future’ initiative. Led by the Department of Community Development –  Abu Dhabi, in collaboration with Khalifa University, the initiative engaged 10th – 12th grade high school students from five schools in Abu Dhabi and allowed them to envision a sustainable future for the community of Abu Dhabi.

The initiative was launched with a workshop at the Yas SeaWorld® Research & Rescue Center themed around ‘Sustainability & Climate Change’ with the participation of 50 students and under the supervision of 10 mentors representing the sustainable development goals from Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi. The workshop consisted of different group activities, which were led by the educators at the center, illustrating various topics including sea level rise, air quality and pollution, water desalination and more, to help the students understand the challenges faced when building a sustainable future in the context of global climate change.

The closing ceremony of the initiative witnessed inspiring speeches from Department of Community Development representatives followed by the students’ presentations. The event was attended by delegates from His Excellency Awaidha Al Marar, Chairman of the Department of Energy – Abu Dhabi, His Excellency Engineer Hamad Ali Al Dhaheri, Undersecretary of the Department of Community Development, and His Excellency Mohamed Al Zaabi, CEO of Miral Group, who presented awards to the participants for their contributions.

In this regard, Her Excellency Engineer Sheikha Alhosani, Executive Director of the Social Monitoring and Innovation Sector at the Department of Community Development said: The ‘Community of the Future’ initiative aims to establish a culture of sustainability, enhance social responsibility, and inspire the youth. This was done through a series of interactive workshops in which more than 50 male and female students and 10 mentors participated, representing 5 educational and academic institutions in Abu Dhabi, hosted by the DCD, Khalifa University, and Yas SeaWorld® Research & Rescue Center.

“This comes as part of our efforts aimed at continuing the comprehensive and sustainable development witnessed by the emirate, coinciding with the UAE’s efforts during the year of sustainability and in line with COP28 which was hosted in the UAE. The Community of the Future initiative aims to enhance students’ ways of analysing the environmental, social and economic challenges facing members of society, in addition to contributing to providing innovative solutions that enhance sustainable development.”

Dr. Elise Marquis, Marine Ecologist and Director of Yas SeaWorld® Research & Rescue, said: “We are pleased to have joined forces with Abu Dhabi’s Department of Community Development and Khalifa University to share our combined expertise and commitment towards our future generation and in return have their opinions heard. We share a common mission to develop solutions towards a more sustainable future, and the ‘Community of the Future’ project serves as a testament to this vision and underscores the critical role that the future generation plays in protecting and preserving the marine environment.”

Building on SeaWorld’s legacy of being one of the largest marine animal rescue organizations in the world, the Yas SeaWorld Research & Rescue center aims to bring their nearly 60 years of experience and knowledge in animal care, rescue, rehabilitation, education and conservation to the UAE and wider region. The center conducts educational workshops and lectures in collaboration with SeaWorld Yas Island, Abu Dhabi and provides various programs to familiarize the public about marine sciences and marine wildlife.

The facility is open to the public and hosts three tours per week on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:30pm to 5:30pm. To join tours at the center, pre-booking is essential, with a fee of AED 30 per person.