Sustainable Sundays with AL Ain British Academy: Inspiring Sustainability through Storytelling and Partnership

In October 2023, we launched Sustainable Sundays, an initiative by AL Ain British Academy (AABA) designed to raise sustainability awareness among children aged 5–10, along with their parents. Hosted at the Zayed Central Library (ZCL), our public library in AL Ain (part of the Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi), this monthly event began as a casual gathering featuring sustainability-themed interactive storytelling and crafts.

The idea for this initiative came from Louise Fear (Primary Teacher at AABA) and me, Lakmee Senadheera (School Librarian at AABA). United by our commitment to sustainability and love of storytelling, we approached Afra Alktebi, the Outreach Program Specialist at ZCL, to discuss how the Sustainable Sundays initiative could be accessible not only to our school community but also to the public library patrons of AL Ain. We are also grateful for the support of our AABA student volunteers from the Sustainability Action Committee, who enthusiastically engage with participants and assist with activities during each 90-minute session.

Over the past year, families have enjoyed these monthly story sessions and creative activities, which have explored important sustainability themes such as climate action, life on land, and life below water. Looking ahead to 2025, our goal is to integrate the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into our monthly event, to focus on one goal each month. For this we plan to adopt the UN’s 17 Months, 17 Books initiative, focusing on the 17 SDGs using the R.A.E.D. format to guide each session:

• R – Reading and book discussion
• A – Art/Craft activity
• E – Engagement through additional, SDG activities (working in pairs/groups)
• D – Doing (discuss take-home ideas to practice during the month)

This ensures that participants not only gain knowledge about global priorities but also understand each and every one of us can actively contribute to build a more sustainable future.

For updates on upcoming sessions follow us on Instagram: @aaalainacademy and @abudhabilibraries.

Lakmee Senadheera, Librarian at AL Ain British Academy (ALDAR Academies), AL Ain, UAE.