‘One Million Volunteer Hours’ Programme Launched in UAE Schools

The Ministry of Education has launched a nationwide initiative titled ‘One Million Volunteer Hours’, aiming to mobilise students and parents across schools and communities to collectively contribute one million hours of volunteer service.
The programme targets learners from kindergarten to Grade 12 and their families, using a unified system to calculate volunteer hours. Participants will receive two hours for volunteering within schools, three hours for community-based work coordinated with approved entities and one hour for family-led activities at home documented with schools. All hours are linked to the national volunteer platform. Volunteers under the age of 18 are required to register on the UAE Volunteers Platform and obtain parental consent. Only verified opportunities will count toward the total, with a daily cap of eight hours unless special approval is granted.
The ministry outlined six pillars for the initiative. Educational activities account for 30% of volunteering and include academic support and parent-led workshops. National activities represent 20%, covering citizenship and reading initiatives. Behaviour and positive education make up 20%, focusing on student wellbeing and family awareness. Digital and innovation volunteering accounts for 10%, alongside environmental, health and sports activities at 10%, and organisational and supervisory roles at 10%.
Volunteer opportunities are tailored to age groups. Younger students may participate in clean-up campaigns, tree planting and identity-focused activities, while intermediate students can engage in digital citizenship, environmental and health campaigns and humanitarian initiatives. Secondary students are expected to support ministry programmes through media, communications, training workshops and initiatives related to academic achievement and national identity.
The first phase of the programme runs from February to June 2026 and includes Ramadan-focused activities.