GSL has been invited by the Varkey Foundation to nominate for the Global Schools Prize
The Global Schools Prize was launched at the Global Student Prize awards ceremony, which GSL Co-Founder attended and we were delighted that a GSL student was recognised as the winner. We are proud to be partnering with the Varkey Foundation to support sharing this new groundbreaking prize.
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 deadline to apply is 30 November 2025.
- The finalists and the winner will be announced in May 2026.
GSL schools already embody many of the ten prize categories — including global citizenship, character education, and innovation in teaching and learning — and are well placed to be recognised. We encourage all our member schools to apply and be celebrated for the powerful impact you are having on your students and communities.
Click here to find out more and apply.
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.
Jonathan Harper, CEO of Future Foundations and Co-Founder of GSL says:
We’re honoured that GSL has been invited by the Varkey Foundation to nominate schools for this prestigious new award. Our community of schools is already leading the way in developing young people as global citizens and changemakers, and we’d love to see their incredible work recognised on the world stage.
Global Social Leaders is supporting the Varkey Foundation to help identify exceptional students, teachers and schools to be recognised for their leadership and impact.
We are currently supporting the nomination for the new prize, the Global Schools Prize.
Find out more here.
The deadline for your school to apply is 30th November 2025.
