Tach the Hurler helping children to return to school in Dubai

Tach is a very special little turtle.  He lives on the shores of the Wadiland peninsula, facing out to Grogoch Island. He has learned to overcome his fears by playing sport and hurling in particular. Tach was trained by one of the last great Cosanthor’s of his tribe, The Wadi Tribe, the formidable puma called Renba.  

Now Tach is helping other children overcome their fears and anxiety when they return to their schools in Dubai. In a partnership between The Wadi Tribe and Capital Schools UAE, a program based on Social Emotional Learning [SEL] has been launched for all returning students of ages 3 to 7 years old. The program leverages character association with Tach and his friends, Taw and Kurwa, and some of the Wadi Tribe elders to create a safe space for children to express how they feel. There is also a COVID-19 song that helps children through rhyme to adjust to their new environment. The main theme throughout the program is for the children to continue to have fun whilst dealing with a major change in their lives.

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“The Back to School COVID-19 Wellbeing Program is a landmark product release for TWT. This program encases the best practices of Social Emotional Learning and delivers a coherent series of modules that help our children reintegrate back into their schools. Many children will have experienced stress during the last few months and delayed reactions to long periods of isolation from their friends and wider family.

"Returning to school and re-engaging in their traditional subjects simply won’t work if the children are not emotionally at ease. The Wellbeing program allows the children to tell their story through character association, games, and activities. The program leverages the principles of the Harvard social and emotional learning skill sets and the CASEL competencies.

"It is delivered in a fun and engaging way through The Wadi Tribe characters reinforced by The Wadi Tribe COVID song. The outcome is a settled and calm environment where children feel safe and unstressed. TWT characters guide the children in making sense of what is happening across our planet and inculcate a sense of hope and confidence – in essence, it creates the ideal environment for the teachers to teach and the children to learn. We are very proud of what TWT has created.“

Simon Longdon, Lead Educator at Capital School, Dubai

"2020 has been a challenging year in so many ways but a standout highlight on the positive side has been the launch of our 'Back to School COVID-19 Wellbeing Program' in partnership with The Wadi Tribe. This course is based on the principles of Social Emotional Learning, or SEL, and gives our students a soft landing when returning to school.  It deals with all the emotions associated with the COVID-19 Lockdown and gently introduces the changes in school life.

"It gives the students themselves a platform to express themselves and show empathy to others in their peer group.  There are dedicated components for parents and children, for students and for teachers, making it a complete end to end a program that enhances our students' wellbeing, a prerequisite for academic excellence. We have enjoyed working with The Wadi Tribe team and really love their characters."

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