The UAE has a world-class education system that’s recognized all over the world. It’s no surprise then that two of its schools are in the running for the World’s Best School Prizes. The schools have made it into the Top 10 shortlists.
The two premier schools are the Mamoura British Academy and the GEMS Modern Academy. The former is in Abu Dhabi while the latter is in Dubai. Both stand a chance of winning at least $50,000 each. There are five prizes for awarding. Each will get a piece of the $250,000 prize fund.
Teaching Sustainable Practices to Future Leaders
The Mamoura British Academy Abu Dhabi is now known for empowering its students. It does this by teaching sustainable practices. The school is also a big proponent of transforming communities through this pursuit. It’s why the Mamoura British Academy is among the Top 10 shortlisted schools. It's vying for the World’s Best School Prize for Environmental Action.
The academy is part of Aldar Education, a top education group in Abu Dhabi. The group aims to provide innovative and inclusive learning. It's a strategy that empowers and inspires communities. Some of Mamoura’s initiatives for its students include recycling projects. It also has energy reduction schemes. It also teaches students sustainable food practices via aeroponic gardening.
The academy has also developed good partnerships with local farms. Especially those focused on vertical farming and organic farming. The initiative helps improve the school’s curriculum while promoting sustainable food production.
Mamoura students are reportedly thinking of creating a forest/desert school. They plan on doing this if it wins the World’s Best School Prize for Environmental Action. It’s an interesting proposition, especially with the UAE’s stunning desert landscape. The school can give students a place to study the dichotomy of nature and humanity.
Focusing on Innovation for the Evolving World
GEMS Modern Academy is more focused on shaping the future of education. They want to do this through innovation. The school aims to prepare and empower its students for a world that’s always evolving. It’s shortlisted for the World’s Best School Prize for Innovation.
GEMS Academy has incorporated entrepreneurship and technology into its curriculum. The school is also known for its revolutionary teaching practices. It uses various digital tools to develop interactive lessons. Each class utilizes tablets, educational apps, and whiteboards. It's because students today are more familiar with using technology when learning. The school also embraces project-based learning. A personalized learning approach is also adopted for every student.
GEMS Modern Academy also encourages an entrepreneurial outlook among its students. It has partnered with organizations like Harvard Project Zero. The institute helps cultivate this mindset. Its integration of technology and entrepreneurship has led to more student interest.
Top Prizes for Top-Notch Education
The World’s Best School Prize is now touted as the world’s most distinguished educational prize. T4 Education established it in 2022. Partners like Accenture, American Express, and Yayasan Hasanah support the education awards. Institutions like the Lemann Foundation and Mellby Gard are also partners.
The World’s Best School Prizes celebrate schools that make a difference in the world. It started as a grassroots solution. It aimed to help ease the education issues that arose after the pandemic. The Prizes will provide inspirational schools a platform to encourage other learning institutions.
The World’s Best School Prizes has five categories. These are Community Collaboration and Environmental Action. There are also categories for Innovation, Overcoming Adversity, and Supporting Healthy Lives.
These prizes will serve to acknowledge schools around the world. Especially those that played a role in developing the next generation of learners. It also commemorates their impact on today’s society after the coronavirus pandemic.
The Best School Prizes were also created to help share the best practices of the winning schools. These schools have transformed the lives of their students and their communities. Their ideas and programs can help inspire other institutions to follow their lead.
Revealing the Winners
There will be three finalists announced for each prize in September. The announcement of winners will be in October. A respected Judging Academy will choose the top schools. This group will become made up of leaders from different fields. They will select the winners based on strict criteria.
There are 50 shortlisted schools, including the two UAE schools. Each institution will get a chance to share its best practices via the T4 Communities app. They will also have access to the School Transformation Toolkits. These resources are set to inspire and direct other schools around the world. The toolkits and apps will guide schools in embracing innovative approaches to education.
The School Transformation Toolkits from the previous year’s winners are available online. Interested parties can also check out the toolkits from 2022’s shortlisted schools.
World’s Best School Prizes founder Vikas Pota said the 50 schools have something in common. They all have a strong school culture. This is regardless of wherever they are and whatever their approach to teaching is. These schools’ leaders understand how to attract great teachers. They also know how to motivate outstanding educators. They also inspire change and create premier teaching and educational environments.
He also congratulated the two UAE schools for their inclusion in the shortlists. He said other schools will learn from the two trailblazing Middle Eastern institutions. Students will also learn about the culture the schools have cultivated.