Teachers are invited to apply for the $1 million prize    

Dubai, July 9, 2025: Teachers have been called to apply for the GEMS Education Global Teacher Prize, a Varkey Foundation initiative organised in collaboration with UNESCO. The $1 million award is one of the biggest prizes of its kind. Since its launch in 2015, the award has received over 100,000 applications and nominations from around the globe.   

Mansour bin Abdullah Al-Mansour, the most recent winner of the GEMS Education Global Teacher Prize, encouraged ‘inspiring’ teachers to apply for the prize. “I invite every inspiring educator to step into the light and apply for the GEMS Education Global Teacher Prize. I also urge students and parents to nominate teachers who are making a lasting difference in their lives. These are stories of passion, dedication, and brilliance the world needs to hear – and their achievements deserve to be celebrated on a global stage,” he says. 

Al-Mansour has transformed the lives of hundreds of orphans and spends his free time teaching prisoners how to read and write.   

Sunny Varkey, Founder of the Global Teacher Prize, the Varkey Foundation, and GEMS Education, says, “The GEMS Education Global Teacher Prize was created to spotlight the critical role of education in addressing the major challenges of our time – from combating climate change to reducing inequality and navigating technological change.  

“I encourage all inspiring teachers… to step forward and apply for this year’s prize. This is your moment to join a global movement of educators who are leading the charge toward a better, more just future for all.”  

Stefania Giannini, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education, says, “UNESCO is proud to stand with the GEMS Education Global Teacher Prize in honouring the incredible dedication and impact of teachers around the world. At a time of growing teacher shortages, increasing challenges and rapid technological change, one truth remains clear: teachers are essential. If we are to build a just, inclusive and sustainable world, investing in teachers is not optional – it’s imperative.”  

The GEMS Education Global Teacher Prize is open to working teachers who teach children who are in compulsory schooling or are between the ages of five and 18. Teachers who teach children aged above four in an Early Years government-recognised curriculum are also eligible, as are teachers who teach on a part-time basis, and teachers of online courses.  

Teachers must spend at least 10 hours per week teaching and plan to remain in the profession for the next five years. It is open to teachers in every kind of school and, subject to local laws, in every country in the world.  

Teachers applying for the GEMS Education 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.  

The prize will be narrowed down to a Top 50 shortlist and Top 10 finalists. The winner will be chosen from the top 10 finalists by the Global Teacher Prize Academy made up of prominent individuals.  

If teachers are being nominated, the person nominating them will write a brief description online explaining why. The teacher being nominated will then be sent an email letting them know they have been nominated and inviting them to apply for the prize. Applicants can apply in English, Mandarin, Arabic, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Russian.    

Interested teachers can apply for the GEMS Education Global Teacher Prize at www.globalteacherprize.org.