Global Teacher Prize 2018
In February, the philanthropist Bill Gates announced the ten finalists for the $1 million Global Teacher Prize 2018 set up by Sunny Varkey, founder of the Varkey Foundation and GEMS Education.
The announcement of the winner will take place on Sunday 18th March in Dubai during the Award ceremony at the Global Education and Skills Forum (GESF) and be shown around the world. The finalists have been selected from over 30,000 nominations and applications from 173 countries globally.
The Global Teacher Prize was set up to recognize one exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession as well as to shine a spotlight on the important role teachers play in society. In a special video message announcing the top ten finalists, Bill Gates paid a powerful tribute to the work of teachers. He said:
“When you think about what drives progress and improvement in the world, education is like a master switch—one that opens up all sorts of opportunities for individuals and societies.
“And research has shown that having a great teacher can be the most important factor that determines whether students get a great education.
“Finalists were selected based on a rigorous set of criteria, including their proven effectiveness in inspiring students and helping them learn.
“Just as important, these teachers are leaders who have innovated in the classroom and mentored their colleagues.
“They have demonstrated the kind of collaboration—teachers and schools working together—that can give all students the opportunity to get a great education”.
The 10 finalists for the Global Teacher Prize 2018 are:
- Nurten Akkuş a pre-school teacher and principal at Ayvacık Pre-School, Samsun, Turkey;
- Marjorie Brown, who teaches history at Roedean School, Johannesburg, South Africa;
- Luis Miguel Bermudez Gutierrez, a social science teacher at the Colegio Gerardo Paredes IED, Bogotá, Colombia;
- Jesus Insilada, who teaches English and creative writing at Caninguan National High School in Lambunao, Iloilo, Philippines;
- Glenn Lee, an engineering and technology teacher from Waialua High & Intermediate School, Waialua, Hawaii, United States;
- Diego Mahfouz Faria Lima, director of Darcy Ribeiro Municipal School, in São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo, Brazil;
- Koen Timmers, a lecturer at PXL university college in Hasselt and a computer science teacher at CVO De Verdieping school in Heusden-Zolder, Belgium;
- Eddie Woo, a mathematics teacher from Cherrybrook Technology High School, Sydney, Australia;
- Andria Zafirakou, an art and textiles teacher from Alperton Community School, Brent, London, United Kingdom;
- Barbara Anna Zielonka, an English teacher at Nannestad High School, Norway.
Sunny Varkey, founder of the Varkey Foundation and the Global Teacher Prize, said:
“I want to congratulate the top 10 finalists who have made it through from such a huge number of talented and dedicated teachers. I hope their stories will inspire those looking to enter the teaching profession and also shine a powerful spotlight on the incredible work teachers do all over the world every day.
“The thousands of nominations and applications we received from every corner of the planet is testimony to the achievements of teachers and the enormous impact they have on all of our lives”.
Find out more about the Global Teacher Prize
Find out more about the Varkey Foundation
