The Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation (AGF) and edtech wellbeing platform Peekapak have expanded their partnership under the Takween Al Ghurair program for the 2026-27 academic year, with the goal of embedding social-emotional learning and student wellbeing into UAE schools.
The announcement, issued on 14 October 2026, says the expanded collaboration will reach more than 25,000 Emirati students, educators, and families during the school year. The partners previously worked together during 2025-26, reaching nearly 8,600 students across charter, government, and private-school communities, according to the release.
Wellbeing integrated into everyday school practice
Peekapak, described as offering a social-emotional learning (SEL) curriculum from nursery through Grade 12, will extend access for partner schools to wellbeing programming including a “Building Resilience and Wellbeing Course.” The release also states that educator training, family engagement initiatives, and “integrated wellbeing measurement” tools will be provided as part of the partnership.
AGF and Peekapak said the approach is designed to shift wellbeing away from standalone programming and toward a school-embedded model. The release frames the initiative as integrating student-centered learning, educator development, and family engagement into regular school operations, intended to support “long-term internal capacity” for wellbeing.
Wellbeing Leads and ongoing coach support
A central feature of the expanded partnership is giving schools primary responsibility for delivering the curriculum. Partner schools will be able to appoint in-school educators as “Wellbeing Leads,” who would facilitate the programs alongside their existing responsibilities.
These educators, the release says, will receive training and ongoing support from Peekapak coaches during the academic year, aiming to build confidence and skills to deliver wellbeing content effectively over time.
Tools for educators and families, plus measurement
The partners also described activities beyond the classroom. The release mentions professional development for educators that focuses on practical strategies to support student wellbeing and integrate SEL into teaching. For families, it cites workshops around student mental health and resilience, intended to strengthen school-home relationships.
For evaluation, the initiative includes measurement tools said to provide schools with data to assess impact and support continuous improvement.
Company and foundation comments
AGF said the partnership reflects its broader focus on reinforcing support for students beyond school hours. “Supporting student wellbeing means giving the people around them the right tools too. Through Takween Al Ghurair, we are helping educators and families reinforce that support beyond the classroom, an approach that also reflects the values at the heart of the UAE’s Year of the Family,” said Mona Ghander, SVP of Innovative Solutions & Strategic Partnerships at AGF.
Peekapak’s co-founder and CEO, Ami Shah, said the program is designed to provide schools with broader infrastructure for wellbeing. “We’re not just delivering a course,” Shah commented. “We’re giving schools a complete infrastructure for wellbeing. When students, teachers, and families are all equipped and connected through the same framework, that’s when culture truly shifts.”
Earlier results cited from 2025-26 implementation
In reporting on the 2025-26 academic year, the release says improvements were observed in students’ knowledge of SEL skills during the course implementation. It states that students showed an average improvement of more than 80%, and that facilitators consistently noted students becoming more confident in expressing emotions, managing stress, communicating, collaborating, and making decisions.
Pegged as an “integrated measurement” model, the partnership is set to run throughout the 2026-27 academic year with Peekapak providing curriculum access, training, family resources, and measurement tools to partner schools, the release said.
