Laureates of UNESCO-Hamdan Prize for Teacher Development
2023-2024
- Good Neighbors Bangladesh ā empowering rural teachers
, part of Good Neighbors International, is dedicated to enhancing the quality of education by developing skilled teachers and creating child-friendly school environments. It has established primary and secondary schools in the rural communities of Bochaganj, Ghatail, Moulvibazar, and Shakhipur. Created in 1998, the project is entitled āEnhancement of teachersā capabilities for ensuring quality teaching environment in targeted schoolsā. The projectās comprehensive approach includes extensive teacher training, improving skills in classroom management and technology use, and the creation of sustainable infrastructures in schools including teachers' knowledge centers. By integrating childrenās rights education into the curriculum, GNB has successfully reduced instances of child marriage and labour. So far, the project has provided professional and skills development training to 450 teachers, benefiting approximately 24,414 students and 97,656 community members, and has established partnerships with 79 other schools.
- Veredas Formativas ā tailored teacher development in Brazil
The was launched by the Municipal Department of Education of Curitiba in 2017. The projectās main goal is to offer meaningful learning opportunities for education professionals through training and cultural activities in the context of the municipal education network. Since its inception, the program has empowered teachers to choose their training, as well as decide on how to develop their own career path. Veredas Formativas offers various training formatsāincluding in-person, hybrid, and remote learningāacross various educational themes tailored to demands. The initiative also promotes personal growth through cultural activities such as theatre, music, and literature events. In 2023 alone, the programme conducted 883 formative actions, effectively contributing to the professional and personal development of 16,728 teachers and improving the quality of education of 132,934 students.
- Tchitchao High School ā boosting literacy and numeracy in Togo
, located in the rural Kara Region of Togo, is a public secondary school where dedicated local teachers volunteer to improve educational quality for underserved communities. Launched in 2018, the project is entitled āTeachers' community evidence-based holistic approach to improve foundational literacy and numeracy skills of rural primary-grade students in Tchitchao villageā. It aims at enhancing foundational literacy and numeracy skills among primary-grade students in the village and the surrounding region. The initiative pioneers the integration of social and emotional learning into a structured pedagogy, offering personalized instruction tailored to each studentās needs. This approach adapts learning to the studentās individual level rather than their age or grade, creating a more effective educational environment. Since its launch, it has significantly improved educational outcomes. At the village level, the programme reached 2,400 students and trained 20 teachers as master trainers, who now lead future cascade trainings.
2021-2022
- Graines de Paix, Benin
The programme āApprendre en paix, Enseigner sans violenceā (Learning in Peace, Education without Violence) provides educational solutions focused on how to prevent all forms of violence, prevent radicalisation, and foster wellbeing, a culture of peace, security, equity, and inclusion. Teachers learn how to move on from violent punitive authoritarian postures to positive postures that empower all students. The project is based on the pedagogical approaches tested in Switzerland, France, and CĆ“te dāIvoire, but is anchored in Beninās local context. Over 4,500 teachers have been trained, 2,500 parents have been sensitized and more than 250,000 children were reached through the project. - P4H Global, Haiti
āTraining Teachers to Transform Haitiā is an innovative programme dedicated to improving the quality of education in Haiti through the training not only of teachers but also of school directors, parents, and community members. The project is based on a cycle including diagnosis of schools, training, distance coaching, and classroom observation. It aims to transform teachersā methods into effective student-centred strategies that cultivate critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity inside the classroom. This is reinforced by sharing lessons and personalized feedback through social media and messaging apps which enjoy the participation of a community of more than 11,000 teachers across the country. Since 2011, the 3-year intensive programme has benefited 8,000 educators and 350,000 students in all ten departments in Haiti. 70% of the training courses are provided to schools in rural settings due to the lack of support and resources in those areas. - TAMAM Project, Lebanon
The āTAMAM Project for School-Based Educational Reformā is a research-based programme where university researchers work closely with educational practitioners to generate strategies that are grounded in the sociocultural contexts of the Arab region. Teachers are offered platforms to network, learn and innovate with educators from other schools. TAMAM covers 70 schools in 9 countries across the region: Lebanon, Jordan, Oman, Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Palestine, and Kuwait. Over the past 15 years, 100 improvement projects have been initiated at the local level thanks to TAMAM. The project has benefited 1,000 educational practitioners as direct beneficiaries.
2019-2020
- Escolas Conectadas (Brazil)
The Escolas Conectadas (Connected Schools) platform of the TelefĆ³nica Vivo Foundation was launched in 2015 to promote the inclusion of educators in digital culture and foster the development of ICT skills among students. The platform offers 38 distance education courses on a wide range of subjects. The courses last four weeks and target basic education teachers (with students aged 6 to 18) from all over Brazil. Some of them also target school administrators and managers. In 2019, the project reached 65,000 educators in 1,483 different municipalities from all of the 26 states and the Federal District of Brazil. - School Transformation Journey (Egypt)
School Transformation Journey, of the Educate Me Foundation, is a three-year programme, launched in 2015, that seeks to develop dialogue and understanding between schools and their local administrations. By disseminating a culture of self-reliance among school-based educators, it creates an environment that fosters the exchange of knowledge and experiences among educators. Well trained and qualified teachers implement the programme, which develops the capacities of educators in each school until they become experts in the field of ICT learning. To date, the programme has reached 6,000 educators, 430 public schools and 7 Governorates across Egypt. - Apps for Good (Portugal)
Apps for Good, implemented since 2015 by CDI (Centre of Digital Inclusion) Portugal, is a digital education programme that challenges students and teachers to develop applications for smartphones or tablets, showing them the potential technology has to transform their communities. It is also a tool to bridge the gap between the classroom and real-world industries. Over 80% of the teachers who participated in the programme reported that it had improved their digital knowledge and skills. Over the past six years it has reached 13,080 students and 1,133 teachers from 448 schools, who in turn have developed over 1,000 digital solutions.
2017-2018
- The Center for Mathematic Modeling of the University of Chile
Rewarded for its Suma y Sigue: MatemĆ”tica en lĆnea (Adding it up: Mathematics online) programme which was developed to address the performance gaps in mathematics between students from different socioeconomic backgrounds and improve the quality of maths teaching in general. It is a ālearning by doingā programme organized by grade levels and curricula, enabling teachers to focus on their specialized area of mathematics teaching. It blends face-to-face sessions with intensive virtual instruction. The programme is scaleable, easily accessed by teachers in remote areas, and it promotes inclusion.
- The Diklat Berjenjang project from Indonesia
Rewarded for bringing quality professional development to early childhood teachers, notably in the poorest and most remote areas. It helps meet Indonesiaās need for teachers skilled in creating stimulating learning environments for young learners. It helps identify potential teacher trainers and provides step-by-step written guides, follow-up assignments and exchanges.
The Fast-track Transformational Teacher Training Programme from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Rewarded for its highly innovative and impactful approach to training teachers in various professional environments in Ghana. It promotes child-centred and play-based pedagogy in early education to replace traditional talk chalk disciplinarian methods. Practicing teachers receive a two-year training, combining workshops with smaller peer group meetings in which they are paired on the basis of their complementary strengths to engage in classroom observations and in class coaching.
The three winners were selected from 150 nominations submitted by the Governments of UNESCOās Member States and UNESCO partner organizations on the recommendation of an International Jury of education professionals.
2015-2016
The University of Malaya, Malaysia
The University of Malaya, Malaysia, āEnvironmental Citizenship Education Malaysia 2005-2015ā programme launched in 2005 works to raise awareness of environmental issues and sustainability among education stakeholders, including teachers, students, and teacher trainers. It aims to bridge the gap between the formal education system, local communities and conservation efforts and build citizenship. The university has made modules developed for the programme available to all schools in the country.See Beyond Borders, Cambodia
The See Beyond Borders (Cambodia) āTeach the Teacherā programme helps to develop confident and competent communities of teachers committed to quality teaching and engaged in continuing professional development. It targets rural primary schools where the most inexperienced teachers are often placed and works through mentoring to offer professional development on teaching techniques and how best to use resource materials and offer support to other teachers.
2013-2014
Oxfam Novib and Education International, Belgium
āQuality Educators for All: Every Child needs a Good Teacher (Quality-Ed)ā programme was established in Mali and Uganda in 2007 by Education International and Oxfam Novib. It brings together government representatives, teachers unions, civil society and academics to develop a competence profile for primary school teachers, in a bid to reform teacher training and professional development programmes.SOS Villages dāEnfants, Madagascar
SOS Villages dāEnfantsā āTeacher Training Programmeā programme offers training in participatory pedagogy to primary and secondary teachers from formal and non-formal education since 2011. The idea is to make teaching concrete through the use of pedagogical tools that invite the students to discover and understand by themselves the course contents.ProEd Foundation, Panama
ProEd Foundationās āTeachers Teaching Teachers - Professional Learning Community (PLC)ā project started in 2002. It aims to provide high-quality, continuous professional development for teachers and school administrators of all ethnic, socioeconomic and gender orientations in Panamaās public and low-income private schools.
2011-2012
African Institute for Mathematical Science Schools Enrichment Centre, South Africa
āThe African Institute for Mathematical Sciences Schools Enrichment Centre (AIMSSEC) was created in 2003 to help young people from marginalized communities enter higher education and to introduce new skills in the teaching of mathematics. Among AIMSSECās star programs is the āMathematical Thinking Courseā, which offers primary and secondary teachers the possibility to receive training in mathematical problem solving and in the use of ICTs in the teaching and learning of math. This intensive course allows teachers to then undertake a two-year training program to become subject leaders. As of today, more than 1000 teachers from all over South Africa have undertaken the training courses.
Banco del Libro, Venezuela
Book Bank has existed since 1960 and is dedicated to the promotion of reading and childrenās literature as tools for dialogue and a culture of peace. It has, among other activities, set up school and public libraries, as well as different training programs. Its āWords for Non-Violenceā project, launched in 2010 in Caracas schools, aims to address the problem of school violence by using oral and written literature as a means of channeling anger and resolving conflict. The goal is to offer different reading materials that provide a space for discussion focused on the book, to create an environment conducive to reading, and to train mediators and teachers. To this day, 2,920 teachers have been trained, benefiting more than 100,000 children.
Rato Bengala Foundation, Nepal
Training teachers is the focus of the Rato Bangala Foundation (RBF). Since its launch in 2002, it offers training programs to primary and secondary teachers, in an aim to reinforce their skills and teaching methods. In 2009, RBF began the "Dailekh School Project". This large-scale project concentrates efforts on the mountainous region of Dailkeh, west of Nepal, aiming to improve the learning and teaching environment of the 513 public schools of this isolated region. Since 2009, 1,900 teachers and 1,000 school heads have undertaken training in theory and practical teaching methods which, in turn, benefit more than 50,000 students daily.
2009-2010
Ali Institute of Education, Pakistan
The Ali Institute of Education is an initial and continued professional development training institute for teachers. Its activities focus on improving the quality of education and professional development for teachers. In 1997 it launched, in the province of Punjab, the āTraining and Resource Centersā (TARCs) programme. TARCs offer teachers a stimulating environment to develop pedagogical competencies, facilitates self-training and encourages teachers to critically analyze their work methods. Since 1997, more than 13,000 rural and urban primary school teachers have participated in continued professional training, more than 6,400 government staff have undertaken workshops in capacity building and 500,000 children benefit daily from the positive impact of the 8 TARCs created in the province of Punjab.Centro de Excelencia para la Investigacion y Difusion de la Lectura y Escritura, Dominican Republic
The Centre for Excellence in Research and Dissemination of Reading and Writing (CEDILE) is part of the Social Sciences Faculty of the Pontifical Catholic University of Madre y Maestra. The Centre aims to improve the teaching of reading and writing in primary schools. Its "Read and write" program sets up libraries in public schools to support teaching, and provides training in didactics, writing systems and new teaching methods. The program, recognized by the Ministry of Education, has trained more than 6,400 teachers, heads of schools and government staff since 2002, benefiting in turn 200,000 students.Centre Congolais Education pour Tous, Democratic Republic of Congo
The Congolese Center for Education for All (CCEPT), located in the region of Kinshasa, is a training center for teachers and management staff of kindergartens, primary and secondary schools. In DRC, the number of kindergartens keeps growing, yet there are very few centers for training the much-needed personnel. The CCEPT offers training programs for teachers and heads of kindergartens currently working without the necessary and obligatory qualifications. The one-year training program allows teachers to acquire both theoretical and practical knowledge in their field while working. Since its beginnings in 1995, the center has trained thousands of teachers and heads of schools in pedagogical knowledge, the art and science of teaching, classroom and school management all while keeping their employment.