An educator at the Aga Khan Academy in Mombasa has been shortlisted as a finalist for the 2019 Global Teacher Prize.
Now in its fifth year, this highly prestigious US$1 million award is the largest prize of its kind. An initiative of the Varkey Foundation, the Global Teacher Prize “serves to underline the importance of educators and the fact that, throughout the world, their efforts deserve to be recognised and celebrated. It seeks to acknowledge the impacts of the very best teachers – not only on their students but on the communities around them.”
Dr Maina WaGíokò was selected as one of 50 finalists from a total of over 10,000 nominations and applications across 179 countries around the world. On being shortlisted, Dr Maina said, “I am honoured to be shortlisted as one of the 50 finalists for the Global Teacher Prize. Awards like this are important to the teaching field – not only because they recognise the work of teachers around the world, but also because they allow us to share learnings and build upon best practices.”
Dr Maina joined the Aga Khan Academies network in 2001, and in that time, has been instrumental in developing teacher learning strategies within the framework of the Academies’ Professional Development Centres (PDC). These Centres support excellence in teaching by promoting professional learning opportunities for the Academy faculty, as well as outreach programmes for teachers and head teachers from neighbouring government, private and not-for-profit schools.
If awarded the Global Teacher Prize, Dr Maina would develop a pedagogy resource centre to pilot new teaching ideas, as well as replicating evidence-based practices in other parts of the country through mentoring, print and online channels.
Following the announcement of the 50 shortlisted teachers, a prize committee will further narrow down the list to ten finalists, which will be announced next month. The winner will then be chosen from these ten finalists by the Global Teacher Prize Academy.
We wish Dr Maina the best of luck and congratulate him on this outstanding achievement.
Latest On AKDN
