The Launch of the 1 Million Schools Campaign

At the Varkey Foundation, we have long believed in the extraordinary power of schools to change lives. Today, that belief has taken a bold new step forward.

Our Founder, Sunny Varkey, has officially launched the 1 Million Schools Campaign - a global movement to unite one million schools worldwide in a shared commitment to taking action for good, in their communities and beyond.

Unveiled at SPARK.Dubai, a conference hosted by the Varkey Foundation at the GEMS School of Research and Innovation, the campaign sets out to build a million-strong global community of changemaking schools over the next five years. Together, these schools will tackle some of the world’s most urgent challenges and ignite millions of meaningful connections across borders.

Speaking at the launch, Sunny Varkey said:

“Every day, schools – through their heroic teachers and students – are changing lives, often against the odds. The 1 Million Schools Campaign connects that courage and creativity across borders, turning it into a global force for good.”

The campaign invites schools everywhere to take action across four initial key themes: climate education, food insecurity, education in crisis, and community leadership. These themes reflect areas where schools are already making a profound difference, from supporting families and communities, to advancing sustainability, to tackling poverty and illiteracy.

As Sunny Varkey emphasised:

“If one school can change a community, imagine what one million schools can change together. The invitation is open: one school, one action, one global movement – one million times over.”

How Schools Can Get Involved

Schools can join the 1 Million Schools Campaign by signing up via the Varkey Foundation website and committing to take action in one of the campaign’s key focus areas. They can also choose to support and scale a growing portfolio of flagship, teacher-led projects that are already transforming lives around the world.

These initial flagship initiatives - designed by some of the world’s most inspiring educators, include:

The Climate Action Project, reaching millions of students globally through collaborative, school-led climate education

Build the Change, a monthly challenge developed with LEGO, empowering students to design solutions to real-world problems

Writing Our Future, Together, encouraging schools to take practical environmental pledges

The National School Pantry Network, helping schools address food insecurity with dignity and care

EduSpots, a community-led model creating accessible learning hubs using simple digital tools

Together, these initiatives showcase what meaningful, practical, and locally relevant school-led change can look like in action. Schools are encouraged to share their involvement using #1MillionSchools and to nominate other schools, helping the movement grow organically.

A Global Community for Learning and Impact

As a global convener, the Varkey Foundation will leverage its worldwide network—built through more than a decade of impact via the Global Teacher Prize, Global Student Prize, and the newly launched Global Schools Prize—to support participating schools. Through the campaign, schools will gain access to peer learning, collaboration opportunities, and global visibility.

SPARK.Dubai also celebrated the wider role of schools in nurturing creativity and innovation, featuring contributions from globally renowned artists including Nile Rodgers, Carlos Acosta, and Matteo Bocelli, alongside powerful student-led showcases of emerging education technologies.

The 1 Million Schools Campaign is more than a pledge—it is a shared belief in what is possible when schools come together with purpose.

Because when schools act, the world changes.

Join the 1 Million Schools Campaign