Global Teacher Prize 2020 winner Ranjitsinh Disale has called on students from India and the world over to get involved in a brand new $50,000 Global Student Prize, which offers a new platform to highlight the efforts of extraordinary students making an impact on learning and society at large.
As the sister prize of the annual $1 million Global Teacher Prize, the new Chegg.Org student award was launched recently by the research arm of education firm Chegg and UK-based Varkey Foundation. It will be open to students worldwide who are at least 16 years old and enrolled in an academic institution or training and skills programme. Part-time students as well as students enrolled in online courses will be eligible.
“Heroic fellow Indian teachers have gone above and beyond, especially during the pandemic, to keep young people learning,” said Ranjitsinh Disale, as he encouraged Indian teachers and students to apply for the 2021 cohort of the awards.
“Like much of the world, India has been turned upside down by Covid, and it is ultimately teachers and students that will play leading roles in the nation’s rebuilding and recovery. We must recognise their inspirational work in every corner of India if we are to build a better tomorrow,” he said.
Together, the creators of the Global Teacher Prize and the Global Student Prize say they aim to shine a spotlight on the great work teachers do in preparing young people for the future and the amazing promise the brightest students are showing in their learning.
Lila Thomas, Head of Chegg.org, said: “Students throughout the world during the pandemic have shown great strength, focus and determination to keep learning and keep fighting for their future. They deserve huge praise and recognition for never giving up.
“These students will now be charged with helping to solve some of the greatest challenges in history. The Global Student Prize has been launched to shine a light on their stories and listen to their voices. After all, it is their dreams, their insights and their creativity that will help to build the future.”
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.
Students applying for the Global Student Prize will be assessed on their academic achievement, impact on their peers, how they make a difference in their community and beyond, how they overcome the odds to achieve, how they demonstrate creativity and innovation, and how they operate as global citizens.
Both prizes will be narrowed down to the Top 50 shortlists and then Top 10 finalists. The winners will be chosen by a Global Teacher Prize Academy made up of prominent individuals and announced live at a ceremony later in the year.