The top 50 finalists for the US$1 million Global Teacher Prize have just been announced, bringing together nominees from 38 countries.
The prize, which is the largest of its kind, is now in its 10th year. Its aim is to shine a spotlight on the positive impact teachers make on society and recognise the exceptional educators who have made an outstanding contribution to the profession.
The top 50 were selected from over 5,000 nominations and applications from 139 countries from around the world. The countries with the most nominees are the US (5 finalists) and India (3). Two teachers from Australia also make the shortlist – Colleen O'Rourke and Jade Bassett.
O’Rourke is 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. She has developed the Nature-Nurture-Network curriculum – connecting digital technologies such as AI, robotics and drones, with outdoor, natured-based learning. All the curriculum units are underpinned by the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
‘Students learn coding, AI, data and design by studying plants, rivers, ecosystems and swarm intelligence, uniting their digital learning with the natural world. This approach has produced exceptional outcomes,’ her nomination reads.
‘Students themselves have reported stronger emotional regulation, and student sentiment towards Digital Technologies, along with their appreciation for nature and caring for our planet, has deepened. The program has also fostered growth in teamwork and leadership, with many neurodivergent students emerging as confident digital leaders and collaborators.
‘If awarded the Global Teacher Prize, Colleen plans to distribute the Nature-Nurture-Network curriculum free to schools worldwide, expand global VR/AI classroom networks, and build inclusive, culturally informed tools for neurodivergent learners.’
Bassett is an early career teacher at Rutherford Technology High School in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, where she runs the Women in STEM Program. ‘Jade founded the program to address entrenched inequities faced by students at Rutherford Technology High School, many of whom experience poverty, significant learning disabilities, and limited exposure to STEM pathways,’ her nomination reads.
The focus includes robotics, coding, engineering design, entrepreneurship and sustainable innovation. Under the program, students have founded companies, presented at industry hubs, and worked with external mentors.
‘If awarded the Global Teacher Prize, Jade plans to expand her program nationally, fund international learning opportunities for disadvantaged students, and invest in teacher training and sustainable STEM projects that scale far beyond her school community.’
The GEMS Education Global Teacher Prize is a Varkey Foundation initiative organised in collaboration with UNESCO. Commenting on the crucial impact of the profession, Sunny Varkey (Founder of the Global Teacher Prize, GEMS Education, and The Varkey Foundation) says, ‘Teachers shape minds, spark confidence, and open the doors through which young people create brighter futures for themselves and others.’
From here, the top 50 will be whittled down to a final 10, with the winner announced at the beginning of February. Previous winners include: Mansour Al Mansour, 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.
The top 50 shortlisted finalists for the GEMS Education Global Teacher Prize
Africa: Adeola Olufunke Akinsulure (Nigeria); Charnelle Arende (South Africa); Jeremie Habumugisha (Rwanda); Jusinta Kwakyewaa (Ghana); Komlan Abalo Braly (Togo); Misheck Mutuzana (Zambia); Mwanaidy Ally Mwacha (Tanzania); Nkosana Butholenkosi Masuku (Zimbabwe); Shallom Maweu Sila (Kenya); Tijjani Mohammed Mukaddas (Nigeria).
Asia: Aysel Şener (Turkey); Hala Abdelmoemn Mohamed Kotb Shahin (UAE); Hiroki Shinohara (Japan); Hossam Asal (Qatar); Maha Abumonshar (Palestine); Md Zahidul Islam (Bangladesh); Mehraj Khourshid Malik (India); Rouble Nagi (India); Saeed Salem Abdullah Al-Zahrani (Saudi Arabia); Salah El Sadi (Palestine); Sudhanshu Shekhar Panda (India); Tatyana Belousova (Kazakhstan); Velerie Wheelervon Primus (Malaysia).
Australasia: Colleen O'Rourke (Australia); Jade Bassett (Australia); Morgan Jayne McKeen (New Zealand).
Europe: Alfonso Filippone (Italy); Ana Hernández Revuelta (Spain); Cristian Ruiz Reinales (Spain); Ewa Stefania Drobek (Poland); John McGoldrick (UK); Maja Džafić (Bosnia and Herzegovina); Mouniati Moana-Chakour (France); Oleksandr Dumyshynets (Ukraine); Panagiota Diamanti (Greece).
Latin America: César Guillermo Fetzer Paz (Guatemala); Galileu da Silva Pires (Brazil); Gloria Argentina Cisneros (Argentina); Jairo Rafael Castro Acosta (Colombia); Joshue Castellanos Paternina (Colombia); Mónica Milagros Lanchipa Bergamini (Peru); Nelsy Saray Valenzuela Flores (Mexico); Pablo Ariel Mollo Graña (Uruguay); Patricio Andrés Vilches Guerrero (Chile); Miguel Alejandro Rodriguez (Argentina).
North America: Esmeralda Mora (US); Jasmyn Nicole Wright (US); Kristin Jean Grender (US); Stephanie Anne King (US); Timothy James Stiven (US).
Visit the Global Teacher Prize website to find out about their stories.
