(Reuters) – Schools in Poland, Italy, India and Argentina triumphed at the World’s Best School prizes on Thursday for feats including supporting refugee children, an anti-bullying campaign and projects against pollution.
The five winners shared a $50,000 prize at the awards, which were first launched in 2022 by T4 Education, a global network for educators.
The First Ukrainian School in Poland by the Unbreakable Ukraine Foundation won the Overcoming Adversity prize in recognition of its tailored education and support for refugee children integrating into a new country.
Initially a charity school that opened in March 2022, soon after President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian forces into Ukraine, it now counts three branches with 1,500 children in the Polish cities of Warsaw, Krakow and Wroclaw.
Istituto Galilei-Costa-Scarambone in Lecce, Italy, won the Supporting Healthy Lives prize for its “Mabasta” (stop it) student-led anti-bullying initiative, which also focuses on mental wellbeing.
Two schools in India won awards. The Environmental Action prize went to Ryan International School, Vasant Kunj in New Delhi for its hydroponics and biogas plants projects against water scarcity and pollution, while CM RISE School Vinoba, Ratlam won the Innovation prize.
It was recognised for its “Cycle of Growth” model, which supports teacher development and engaging pupils and which has helped increase school attendance to 85% from 25% and exam pass rates to 82% from 29%.
Colegio María de Guadalupe in Buenos Aires won the prize for Community Collaboration for its programme for financially vulnerable students that mixes education with professional development.
An additional prize, the Community Choice award, went to Kalvi International Public School in the Indian city of Madurai for its outreach initiative for children from poorer families as well as its focus on holistic development and social integration.
“It is my hope that governments now look to your shining examples to see what can be achieved when schools are committed to high performance and when education seeks to tackle some of the greatest challenges our societies face,” T4 Education and the prizes founder Vikas Pota said in a statement.
(Reporting by Marie-Louise Gumuchian; Editing by Sharon Singleton)
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