Applications for the second annual $1-million Global Schools Prize are now open and South African schools which are reimagining education for the future are being encouraged to apply.
Founded by renowned education pioneer and philanthropist Sunny Varkey, the Global Schools Prize joins the Global Teacher Prize and Global Student Prize, completing a powerful trilogy that celebrates educators, learners, and now schools as institutions of innovation and change.
Together, the three prizes will spark a 360-degree conversation about what it takes to deliver the best possible education, equipping children to face the future with confidence – while rethinking the future of learning for generations to come.
The inaugural winner of the Global Schools Prize – Lebanon’s Alsama Project – was selected from nearly 3 000 applications and nominations across 113 countries.
The Alsama Project has dedicated itself to providing life-changing education to displaced Syrian and Palestinian teenagers excluded from traditional schooling. Founded in 2020 to support just 40 young people in Beirut’s Shatila refugee camp, the refugee-led education organisation has since grown to serve more than 1 100 students, using innovative education to create opportunity and hope for some of the world’s most vulnerable young people.
“I encourage trailblazing schools across South Africa to put themselves forward for this year’s prize and show the world the impact they are making every day,” says Varkey. “The Global Schools Prize is more than an award – it’s a movement to reimagine learning in a world of constant change. By recognising multiple winners, we shine a light on the many ways schools are driving progress – from innovation and teacher development to sustainability and student wellbeing. By celebrating these institutions, we can spark a global conversation about scaling the best ideas in education and inspire action that resonates far beyond the classroom.”
The Global Schools Prize recognises schools across 10 categories:
- AI Transformation
- Arts, Culture and Creativity
- Character- and Values-Driven Education
- Global Citizenship and Peacebuilding
- Health and Wellbeing
- Overcoming Adversity
- SEND/Inclusive Education
- STEM Education
- Sustainability
- Teacher Development
Those longlisted will be awarded a Global Schools Prize Badge, symbolising world-class impact and achievement in areas ranging from AI transformation to teacher development. These schools will also be welcomed into the Global Schools Network, gaining access to partnerships, professional development, and global collaboration opportunities with other leading institutions.
The 10 category winners will each receive $50 000. From these, one school will be selected as the overall Global Schools Prize winner and awarded a further $500 000 to expand its impact and accelerate its work.
A Global Schools Prize Council, made up of some of the most respected and influential figures in global education, technology, and philanthropy will guide the prize and provide strategic insight. It will be co-chaired by Stefania Giannini, former assistant director general for Education at UNESCO, and Dame Christine Ryan, former chair of the Ofsted Board. The Council will be part of a wider Global Schools Prize Academy, which will choose the winner.
The Global Schools Prize is open to government-run and privately funded schools worldwide that are going above and beyond to deliver quality education. Applications are now open, and schools interested in applying can visit www.globalschoolsprize.org.