Global Teacher Prize is a annual recognition recognizing excellence in Education. Organized by Varkey Foundation, it covers the Global region. Established in 2014.
The Global Teacher Prize is a US$1 million award established in 2014 by the Varkey Foundation, the London-based education charity, to recognize one exceptional teacher each year who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession. It is open to currently working teachers of children in compulsory schooling (roughly ages 5–18, plus early-years teachers of children aged 4+ on a government-recognised curriculum) in every kind of school and, subject to local laws, every country; entrants must teach at least 10 hours a week face-to-face and plan to stay in teaching for the next five years. Judging runs in stages: online judges score applications to produce a Top 50, a Prize Committee selects the Top 10 finalists, and members of the Global Teacher Prize Academy vote for the winner via a secure online system. The prize has been run in collaboration with UNESCO since 2020.
There is a single US$1 million winner each year, with the prize money paid in equal annual installments over ten years, but the tiered structure means the Top 50 and Top 10 finalist announcements are significant recognitions in their own right and routinely generate national media coverage for finalists. Winners are revealed on a global stage — the 2026 winner, Rouble Nagi, was announced on 5 February 2026 at the World Governments Summit in Dubai, and past winners were announced at the Global Education & Skills Forum. The program has built an alumni network of more than 400 ambassadors across 80+ countries, and for a classroom teacher it is arguably the most visible individual honor in the profession worldwide.
Teachers can apply themselves or be nominated by others via an online form, and candidates are judged only on the information in the application form — so treat the form as the entire case: document measurable student outcomes, innovative and replicable practices, and impact on the community beyond the classroom. Applications and nominations for the next cycle open later in 2026, with the winner typically announced early the following year; no feedback is given to unsuccessful applicants, so strong entries front-load concrete evidence rather than narrative. Note the commitment conditions: winners must remain in teaching for at least five years to receive the staged prize payments.