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The winner will be announced in May 2027.
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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 re-imagining what’s possible in education.
Founded in 2025 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 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.
The Alsama Project was announced as the 2026 winner of the inaugural Global Schools Prize at the Education World Forum in London by award-winning filmmaker, campaigner, and fundraiser Richard Curtis, receiving $500,000 to scale its impact.
The Alsama Project is one of Lebanon’s only education providers to have maintained daily teaching throughout the 2024 and 2026 conflicts, operating education centres in refugee camps serving more than 1,100 displaced teenagers excluded from traditional schooling.
Around 90% of Alsama students arrive illiterate and innumerate, with most learning to read, write, and count within six months.
“The Global Schools Prize celebrates the ideas and innovations that are transforming education. Around the world, schools are reimagining what is possible – finding new ways to inspire curiosity, strengthen resilience, and unlock the potential of every learner. By sharing these breakthroughs on a global stage, the prize reminds us that the power of education lies not only in knowledge, but in the creativity and collaboration that drive progress.”
STEFANIA GIANNINI, FORMER UNESCO ASSISTANT DIRECTOR-GENERAL FOR EDUCATION AND
CO-CHAIR OF THE GLOBAL SCHOOLS PRIZE COUNCIL
“Schools are at the very heart of communities, shaping not only the future of individual learners but the future of societies. The Global Schools Prize shines a spotlight on institutions that are leading with courage, creativity, and purpose—schools that refuse to stand still in the face of change. This prize is about celebrating their impact and encouraging global collaboration so that innovation in one school can inspire progress in thousands more.”
DAME CHRISTINE RYAN, FORMER CHAIR OF OFSTED BOARD
“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.”
SUNNY VARKEY
FOUNDER OF THE VARKEY FOUNDATION
