2022 Wise Awards Finalists Announced

The 15 finalists for the 2022 WISE Awards have been announced, with projects – hailing from ten countries – tackling urgent global educational challenges.

After two years of worldwide disruptions, and as the world inches closer to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development deadline, the need for inclusive and equitable education is more important than ever. This year’s WISE Awards finalists are working towards achieving this, having developed unique solutions ensuring that young people have access to quality education, that disadvantaged children are spoken for, that local communities are lifted, and that everyone has the opportunity to fulfil their potential.

The projects aim to address the global skills gap, develop accessible project-based learning resources, and build early childhood and foundational learning at scale. Another focus area is disadvantaged communities and minorities, with initiatives cultivating safe campuses for women, empowering students and youth impacted by conflict, training and supporting female entrepreneurs, improving the development of early visual-spatial, cognitive, and mathematical abilities for children with special needs, and enhancing the quality of schools through social financing. The finalists also support the protection of values and traditions by maintaining cultural identity and raising awareness about the climate crisis.

The shortlisted projects also focus on educators and local communities, with solutions supporting the wellbeing of teachers through professional development, bringing networks together to create learning opportunities outside of the classrooms and uniting community leaders, parents, and teachers to become drivers of positive social change. 

Stavros N. Yiannouka, CEO of WISE, said: “The disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the intrinsic value of education to individuals and society as a whole. It also further highlighted the urgent need for innovation in education. Despite the best – and often heroic – efforts of educators and policymakers around the world, school closures and the shift to remote learning resulted in significant learning loss and increased incidence of mental health issues for both learners and teachers alike. Moreover, challenges old and new – from geopolitical conflicts to the climate crisis – loom on the horizon and demand innovative solutions where education is expected to play an integral part.     

“In this context, the work celebrated by the WISE Awards is critically important in highlighting the possibilities offered by innovation in education. Each of the 2022 finalists have developed and implemented effective, proven solutions that address key challenges. Whether ensuring access to quality early childhood education, imparting skills and practices for the jobs of tomorrow, or empowering youth through climate action, each project is transforming lives and reaching those most in need.”

This year’s finalists are: Youth Climate Change Leaders and Green Workforce Readiness through public problem solving - Reap Benefit (India), Teachers and Grandmothers Join Hands to Promote Values Education - Grandmother Project: Change through Culture (Senegal), Magrid - LetzMath (Luxembourg), School the World - School the World (USA), Educating for Wellbeing - AtentaMente Consultores (Mexico),  Remake Learning - Remake Learning (USA), Campus Safety Initiative - Gender Mobile Initiative (Nigeria), edSeed: Crowdfunding for Higher Education - VIP.fund (USA), Opportunity International EduFinance - Opportunity International (USA), MyCenta: International Professional Community for Teachers - Centre for Teacher Accreditation (India), Kidogo - Kidogo (Kenya),  The Internet Free Education Resource Bank - Education Above All (Qatar), Rocket Learning: Early Childhood education through digital parent-teacher communities - Rocket Learning (India), Connected North - Taking IT Global (Canada), Addressing the Global Skills Gap - Skills Builder Partnership (UK).

The submissions were evaluated on criteria, including innovation, scalability, sustainability, and their impact on individuals, communities, and societies in their own contexts or globally. Projects also need to be financially stable, have a clear development plan, and be scalable and replicable.

The winners of the WISE Awards will be announced in September 2022. In addition to visibility and networking opportunities, each project will receive $20,000 (US).