Last Updated on November 18, 2021
Each year, the WISE Awards recognize and promote six successful and innovative projects that are addressing global educational challenges.
Since 2009, WISE has received more than 3,000 applications from over 150 countries. Today, 78 projects have been awarded, from a wide variety of sectors and locations for their innovation, positive contribution and ability to adapt and scale.
These projects represent a growing resource of expertise and sound educational practice. Every year WISE is building a community of educational innovators that offers a fertile environment for groundbreaking collaborations. Today the WISE Awards network comprises pioneering projects that are bringing positive change to societies and communities.
Prizes
Winning projects are supported by WISE through different channels:
- Money Prize: Each WISE Awards winning project will receive US$20,000.
- WISE Communications: Projects recognized by WISE are featured on the website, showcased and shared with the WISE community via social media.
- Multimedia productions: Special documentaries and videos are produced to showcase the work of the winning projects.
- WISE Books: Several WISE Awards finalists and winning projects have been featured in WISE Books which explore current challenges and solutions facing 21st-century education.
- The Global Summit: Representatives from Award winning projects are also given the opportunity to present and discuss their work at dedicated sessions during the global biennial summit in Doha, Qatar or WISE regional summits. In addition, projects are offered an opportunity to participate in global events organized in collaboration with WISE.
- Support to other WISE programs: Representative of former winning projects have been involved in other WISE projects, either through mentorship, participation in the selection processes, and fellowship programs.
Eligibility
- Ongoing/existing education projects run by any type of organization such as colleges, universities, academic networks, schools consortia, civil society and community organizations, governments, international agencies and private-sector companies working in the field of education are invited to apply or nominate.
- Projects can also belong to any education sector such as pre-primary, primary, secondary, tertiary, vocational training, higher education, special needs education, education for people with disabilities, informal learning, and distance-based, non-formal and lifelong learning.
- Finally, projects from any part of the world can apply or be nominated for the WISE Awards.
Criteria
The WISE Awards recognize innovative educational projects that have already demonstrated a transformative impact on individuals, communities and society.
The ideal project would be an ongoing, innovative and impactful education initiative that:
- Has an excellent record of proven success
- Is financially sustainable
- Has a clear plan indicating the project’s future objectives and future development
- Is scalable
- Is replicable in other contexts and regions of the world
- Has a clear understanding and knowledge of:
- its innovative nature;
- its distinctiveness within its sphere of action, and;
- the type and depth of its impact on its beneficiaries.
Application
It is possible to apply for a WISE Awards on behalf of your own project, or to nominate another project for the WISE Award.
In order for the application/nomination form to be eligible, your submission must:
- Be entered into the official form on the online system (curriculum vita or other forms of documents will not be considered)
- Be complete and accurate
- Be submitted in English
- Be submitted online by the official deadline
- In the case of an application, the form must include the contact details of two supporters (e.g. former donors, local governments, other NGOs, etc.)
For more information, visit WISE.
Deadline: January 17, 2022