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A landmark new education award: The US $1 million Global Schools Prize seeks to recognise and celebrate exceptional schools from around the world – institutions that are reimagining what’s possible in education.
The Global Schools Prize, established in 2025, will identify ten outstanding category winners, from a longlist, who will each be awarded $50,000. Of those, one extraordinary school will receive the Global Schools Prize and $500,000 to scale its impact.
The longlisted schools will also 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.
Our Categories:
Find out more about our Eligibility and Categories and how to apply.
The application and nomination process will be open from 10 September until 30 November 2025.
The finalists and winner will be announced in 2026.
Founded by renowned UAE education pioneer and philanthropist Sunny Varkey, the Global Schools Prize joins the Global Teacher Prize and Global Student Prize, which he also founded, 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 Global Schools Prize is a call to reimagine learning for a world in constant motion. It is more than an award – it’s a movement to scale the best ideas in education. In recognising multiple winners, we want to highlight the many ways schools are driving change – from innovation and teacher development to sustainability and student wellbeing. By shining a light on institutions that are redefining what education can be, we can spark a global conversation about the future of learning, and inspire action that resonates far beyond the classroom.”
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Sunny Varkey
Founder of the Varkey Foundation
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