Keishia Thorpe, the most recent winner of the Global Teacher Prize, highlights the integral role that Nigerian teachers play in nurturing the next generation of visionaries, as applications are now open for the $1 million Global Teacher Prize 2023.
“Inspiring” Nigerian teachers are urged to apply for the Varkey Foundation Global Teacher Prize 2023, organised in collaboration with UNESCO and in strategic partnership with Dubai Cares. Now in its eighth year, the $1 million award is the biggest prize of its kind.
The winner of the last edition of the Global Teacher Prize was US teacher Keishia Thorpe, who opened up college education for low-income, first-generation American, immigrant and refugee students.
Keishia Thorpe, the most recent winner of the Global Teacher Prize, said:
“Every day, inspiring teachers across Nigeria champion their students and help them become the best that they can be. That is no small feat, and it is why teachers will always matter.
“I encourage them to apply for the Global Teacher Prize 2023, and call on parents and pupils to nominate the great educators in their lives. They deserve to have their stories heard, and for the world to know about all that they have accomplished.”
His Excellency, Dr. Tariq Al Gurg, Chief Executive Officer and Vice-Chairman of Dubai Cares, said:
“Teachers are the driving force behind progress, as they are the ones who inspire and shape the leaders and innovators of tomorrow. Beyond imparting knowledge, teachers are also coaches, mentors, and facilitators who empower their students to achieve their full potential. Through their guidance and support, teachers also instil in students the values, skills, knowledge and experiences that are instrumental in building a prosperous and sustainable future for all. We value our long-standing partnership with the Varkey Foundation Global Teacher Prize, which celebrates the tireless efforts and incredible accomplishments of teachers around the world and their role in driving human development.”
Sunny Varkey, Founder of the Global Teacher Prize and Chairman of the Varkey Foundation, said:
“The Global Teacher Prize was launched to highlight the importance of education in tackling the great challenges ahead – from climate change to growing inequality to global pandemics. I urge inspiring teachers all around the world to apply for this year’s edition.
“Policymakers must never forget that it is only by prioritizing education that we can safeguard all our tomorrows.”
Nigerians have a history of excelling in the Global Teacher Prize. In 2021, two Nigerian teachers made the top 50: Adeola Adefemi, an English teacher at Oke-Odo Senior High School in Alimosho, Lagos, and Olusegun Adeniyi, an art teacher at Caleb British International School also in Lagos. In 2020, Olasunkanmi Opeifa, an English teacher at the Government Day Secondary School Karu in Abuja, was among the top 10 finalists.
Dubai Cares’ long-standing support for the Global Teacher Prize stems from its belief that an investment in teachers is an investment in human development. Through its Framework for Global Education Transformation, the UAE-based global philanthropic organisation is committed to elevating the role of educators as coaches, mentors and facilitators as well as positioning them as “Human Experience Teachers” who can nurture students and empower them with the values, skills, knowledge and experiences they need to face the complexities and challenges of the future.
The prize is open to working teachers who teach children that are in compulsory schooling or are between the ages of five and eighteen. Teachers who teach children age 4+ in an Early Years government-recognised curriculum are also eligible, as are teachers who teach on a part-time basis, and teachers of online courses. Teachers must spend at least 10 hours per week teaching and plan to remain in the profession for the next 5 years. It is open to teachers in every kind of school and, subject to local laws, in every country in the world.
Teachers applying for the Global Teacher Prize will be assessed on teaching practices, how they innovate to address local challenges, achieve demonstrable learning outcomes, impact the community beyond the classroom, help children become global citizens, improve the teaching profession and gain recognition from external bodies.
Interested teachers can apply for the Global Teacher Prize at www.globalteacherprize.org and the closing date for applications is 28 May 2023.
The prize will be narrowed down to a Top 50 shortlist and Top 10 finalists, to be announced later in the year, helping to raise the bar of respect for the teaching profession. The winner will be chosen from the top 10 finalists by the Global Teacher Prize Academy made up of prominent individuals, and will be announced later this year.
If teachers are being nominated, the person nominating them will write a brief description online explaining why. The teacher being nominated will then be sent an email letting them know they have been nominated and inviting them to apply for the prize. Applicants can apply in English, Mandarin, Arabic, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Russian. To join the conversation online, please follow @TeacherPrize.
- The Varkey Foundation believes every child deserves a vibrant, stimulating learning environment that awakens and supports their full potential. The foundation believes nothing is more important to achieving this than the passion and quality of teachers. They support global teaching capacity and seed excellence and innovation in the next generation of educators. They also founded the Global Teacher Prize to shine a spotlight on the incredible work teachers do all over the world. For further details: www.varkeyfoundation.org
- Since its inception in 2007, Dubai Cares, part of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, has been working towards providing children and youth in developing countries with access to quality education through the design and funding of programs that aim to be impactful, sustainable and scalable. To date, the UAE-based global philanthropic organization has successfully launched education programs reaching over 21 million beneficiaries in 60 developing countries.Dubai Cares plays a key role in helping achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4, which aims to ensure inclusive and quality education for all, and promote lifelong learning by 2030, by supporting programs in early childhood development, access to quality primary and secondary education, technical and vocational education and training for youth as well as a particular focus on education in emergencies and protracted crises. Moreover, Dubai Cares adopts a strategic approach to improve student enrollment and learning outcomes through an integrated school health and nutrition model that is made up of school-based deworming activities, school feeding, and WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene) in schools.
Dubai Cares is a civil society organization formally associated with the United Nations Department of Global Communications (UN DGC), as well as a registered non-government organization under IACAD, the charitable activities regulator in Dubai. The UAE-based global philanthropic organization is authorized to raise funds through direct donations and fundraising campaigns, as well as process all permit approvals with IACAD.
Volunteerism is a powerful tool to Dubai Cares in order to engage people in tackling development challenges. Dubai Cares rallies the UAE wider community through a large spectrum of volunteering and awareness initiatives that are linked to its global mandate.
To learn more, please visit www.dubaicares.ae
- UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. It contributes to peace and security by promoting international cooperation in education, sciences, culture, communication and information. UNESCO promotes knowledge sharing and the free flow of ideas to accelerate mutual understanding and a more perfect knowledge of each other’s lives. UNESCO’s programmes contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals defined in the 2030 Agenda, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2015.
