A pioneering educator and acclaimed artist from India who has transformed neglected walls into hundreds of vibrant, open-air learning centres has won the 2026 Global Teacher Prize.
Rouble Nagi creates large-scale educational murals that go way beyond decorative artwork to provide communities with interactive spaces teaching literacy, numeracy, science, hygiene, history, environmental awareness, and social responsibility.
She was announced winner of the $1 million prize at the World Governments Summit in Dubai last night.
Starting with a project in a Mumbai slum, over 2 decades Rouble has created more than 800 learning centres across 100 disadvantaged communities and villages. She travels across the country to work directly with children and mentor teachers, recruiting and training more than 600 volunteer and paid educators.
The GEMS Education Global Teacher Prize is a Varkey Foundation initiative organised in collaboration with UNESCO. Now in its tenth year, it recognises exceptional teachers who have made an outstanding contribution to the profession.
Rouble joins an impressive list of inspiring winners that also includes Mansour Al Mansour from Saudi Arabia, Sister Zeph from Pakistan, Keisha Thorpe from the United States, Ranjitsinh Disale from India, Peter Tabichi from Kenya, Andria Zafirakou from the United Kingdom, Maggie MacDonnell from Canada, Hanan Al Hroub from Palestine and Nancie Atwell from the United States.
Sunny Varkey, Founder of the Global Teacher Prize, GEMS Education, and The Varkey Foundation, said Rouble's work ‘reminds us that teachers are the most powerful force for progress in our world’.
‘Rouble Nagi represents the very best of what teaching can be – courage, creativity, compassion, and an unwavering belief in every child’s potential. By bringing education to the most marginalised communities, she has not only changed individual lives, but strengthened families and communities.’
As founder of the Rouble Nagi Art Foundation (RNAF) and Rouble Nagi Design Studio, she has created over 850 murals and sculptures. Her concept of ‘Living Walls of Learning’ sees neglected and broken walls turned into interactive murals that teach while fostering community pride and education empowerment.
‘Her teaching model addresses the profound challenges of India’s urban slums, including poverty, irregular attendance, inadequate infrastructure, and social barriers such as child labour and early marriage,’ her nomination shares.
‘By offering flexible schedules, vocational skills, and creative learning using recycled materials, she ensures children gain confidence, critical thinking, and academic success. Her programs have reduced dropout rates by over 50%, improved literacy and numeracy, and transformed community attitudes toward education.
‘Rouble integrates global citizenship, sustainability, and climate education into her classrooms. Children learn environmental responsibility through art-based projects, neighbourhood cleanups, and murals promoting hygiene and conservation. She actively prepares them for life in a multicultural world, instilling empathy, collaboration, and leadership skills.’
She plans to use the prize money to expand RNAF, including more infrastructure and training for local educators and the creation of a ‘Skilling Institute’ offering vocational courses and digital literacy programs.
This year’s winner was selected from over 5,000 nominations and applications from 139 countries around the globe. In December, 50 teachers were shortlisted, including 2 teachers from Australia – Colleen O'Rourke and Jade Bassett, an early career teacher at Rutherford Technology High School in the Hunter Region of New South Wales.
O’Rourke – Digital Technologies Specialist, Leader of Digital Innovation and a Highly Accomplished Lead Teacher (HALT) at The Hills Christian Community School in the Adelaide Hills, South Australia – made it through to the final stages when the shortlisted 50 were whittled down to a top 10 last month.
The top 10 finalists were: Adeola Olufunke Akinsulure from Nigeria, Alfonso Filippone from Italy, Ana Hernández Revuelta from Spain, Colleen O'Rourke from Australia, Ewa Stefania Drobek from Poland, Gloria Argentina Cisneros from Argentina, Jasmyn Nicole Wright from the United States, Joshue Castellanos Paternina from Colombia, Rouble Nagi from India and Timothy James Stiven from the United States.
Stay tuned: We recorded a special podcast with top 10 finalist Colleen O’Rourke from The Hills Christian Community School in Adelaide ahead of the big announcement. In the episode, we find out more about her work developing the Nature-Nurture-Network curriculum and in supporting neurodivergent learners, and hear what it meant to her to be a top 10 finalist. Make sure you search ‘TeacherACER’ in your podcast app and hit follow, so you don’t miss it!
Visit the Global Teacher Prize website to find out more about the amazing educators who made the top 50 shortlist and final 10 for 2026.
