EDGE Ventures Announces Strategic Partnership with Bear Grylls Survival Academy to Develop Future-Ready Leaders

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, September 12, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- New partnership combines experiential learning, structured progression and recognised achievement to equip young people with practical skills for life. Students earn nationally and internationally recognised qualifications on a structured Bronze-to-Platinum pathway.
Dubai, UAE – EDGE Ventures, an experiential learning platform dedicated to developing future-ready individuals through real-world, structured experiences, has announced a strategic partnership with Bear Grylls Survival Academy to bring its flagship Survival Academy programme into UAE schools as an accredited, curriculum-based pathway.

The partnership brings together EDGE Ventures' vision for transformative experiential learning with the globally recognised expertise of Bear Grylls Survival Academy, creating opportunities for young people to develop practical capabilities through immersive outdoor experiences.

Built around purposeful challenge and real-world application, the programme encourages participants to step outside traditional learning environments, test themselves in new situations and develop the mindset and capabilities needed to navigate an increasingly complex and rapidly changing world. The launch of the Survival Academy marks the first programme within the EDGE Ventures portfolio. Combining internationally recognised outdoor learning expertise with a structured developmental framework, participants take part in outdoor survival techniques, problem-solving challenges and team-based missions designed to strengthen decision-making, communication, teamwork, adaptability and self-belief.

Importantly, the Survival Academy provides a structured progression pathway rather than a standalone outdoor experience. Participants can progress through Bear Grylls Survival Academy Awards from Bronze to Platinum, delivered by Bear Grylls-accredited instructors. The pathway is externally accredited. Across the full Bronze to Platinum journey, participants can earn nationally and internationally recognised accreditations awarded by independent bodies
Alongside these external accreditations, participants also earn EDGE Microcredentials, digital badges that recognise real, usable life skills as they develop them. Every credential is evidenced and stored within the EDGE Passport, creating a secure digital record of each participant's awards, credentials and achievements that grows with them over time.

The EDGE Passport provides participants with a lasting body of evidence that they can draw upon in the future, including as they progress through education and towards university and employment applications.

The journey can continue beyond the core programme, with access to additional camps, expeditions, experiences and future EDGE programmes, giving participants further opportunities to build their capabilities and add to their record of achievement.

The Survival Academy runs across all key stages, with content pitched to age: confidence, teamwork and outdoor awareness in the primary years; leadership, problem-solving and personal responsibility in the middle years; and expedition leadership, mentoring and university- and career-ready attributes at sixth form. EDGE trains school staff to co-deliver, so the programme becomes part of a school’s own provision rather than a visiting supplier’s.

John Heaver, Managing Director of EDGE Ventures, said:
"At EDGE Ventures, we believe that some of life's most valuable lessons are learned through experience. While academic achievement remains important, young people also need opportunities to develop resilience, confidence, leadership and adaptability.

Our partnership with Bear Grylls Survival Academy enables us to create meaningful experiences that challenge individuals, broaden perspectives and help prepare them for the realities of life beyond the classroom. Through adventure, teamwork and purposeful challenge, participants learn to navigate uncertainty, overcome obstacles and discover what they are truly capable of achieving.

The UAE is where we are starting, not where this ends. The appetite for character education that is actually accredited is the same in every market we look at, and we intend to take this model well beyond the Emirates.”

CJ Cardenas, CEO of the Bear Grylls Survival Academy, said:
"In an ever more challenging world, it is our responsibility to equip young people with the tools they need not just to survive, but to thrive. The Bear Grylls Survival Academy has built its reputation around a simple idea: resilience isn't something you're born with, it's something you build, often just beyond the edge of your comfort zone.

We're proud to be bringing our ethos, methodology and standards to young people across the UAE through our partnership with EDGE Ventures. Together, we have created a curriculum that builds resilience, confidence, teamwork and leadership, all with the outdoors as our classroom. We are confident that these skills will remain in each student's toolkit long after they leave the programme, proving invaluable as they tackle life's challenges with tenacity, empathy, grit and, above all, a never-give-up attitude.”

The programme has been designed to complement existing educational frameworks, supporting the development of skills and behaviours that extend beyond the classroom. Through measurable learning outcomes, structured progression and evidenced achievement, participants can demonstrate their development over time while gaining practical experience that can support them throughout their education and beyond.

Beyond outdoor skills, participants will gain experience in teamwork, communication, problem-solving, decision-making, environmental awareness and personal responsibility, attributes that play a critical role in preparing young people to navigate future opportunities and challenges.

About EDGE Ventures
EDGE Ventures develops future-ready young people through structured, real-world experience. EDGE builds accredited programmes with recognised names in adventure, leadership and life skills, and delivers them inside schools — with assessment, progression and qualifications attached. Every award a student earns is captured in the EDGE Passport. EDGE works with schools of every type and group.

For more information, visit www.edgeventures.ae
Email: marketing@edgeventures.ae

About Bear Grylls Survival Academy
The Bear Grylls Survival Academy (BGSA) has been built on a simple belief: with the right challenge, the right support and the right guidance, people discover they're capable of far more than they ever imagined. The portfolio of courses, challenges and events are inclusive to audiences of all ages and physical abilities and designed to motivate and inspire participants to challenge their own comfort zones and to NEVER GIVE UP! BGSA are proud to have grown their global reach, which spans the dynamic landscapes of the UK, China, UAE, Greece, India, Switzerland, Bahrain and Australia.

For more information, visit www.beargryllssurvivalacademy.com
Email: enquiries@beargryllssurvivalacademy.com

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