Jusinta Kwakyewaa Named In The Top 50 Shortlist For $1 Million Gems Education Global Teacher Prize 2026

Jusinta Kwakyewaa, a clothing and textiles teacher at St. Francis Senior High Technical School in Akim Oda, Ghana, has been named in the top 50 shortlist for the GEMS Education Global Teacher Prize 2026, a Varkey Foundation initiative organised in collaboration with UNESCO.

Jusinta, shortlisted for the GEMS Education Global Teacher Prize, was selected from over 5,000 nominations and applications from 139 countries around the world.

Now in its 10^th year, the $1 million Global Teacher Prize is the largest prize of its kind. It was set up to recognise one exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession as well as to shine a spotlight on the important role teachers play in society. By unearthing thousands of stories of heroes who have transformed young people’s lives, the prize hopes to bring to life the exceptional work of teachers all over the world. Since its launch, the Global Teacher Prize has received over 100,000 applications and nominations from around the globe.

Jusinta Kwakyewaa is a transformational Ghanaian teacher whose 24-year career has empowered thousands through innovative teaching, community service and passionate advocacy for girls’ education. Teaching in rural Ghana, she has tackled barriers such as poverty, absenteeism and inadequate facilities by mobilising stakeholders and personally supporting vulnerable learners. She created a Clothing and Textiles Resource Centre with her own $2,300, benefitting over 4,000 students, and runs free weekend and evening tuition that boosts academic performance.

Her charitable foundation, Frans Care for All Networks, supports more than 12,000 underprivileged people, and her “Free School Uniform Project” has provided materials to over 7,000 students. Her “Academic Drive” project has donated over 9,200 educational books and renovated multiple rural schools.

Her flagship “Dream Girl-Child Initiative” has reached over 18,000 girls with mentorship, career guidance and menstrual health education, including 7,000 packs of sanitary pads.

Jusinta’s students record an impressive 85.85% average WASSCE pass rate, and she has trained over 1,000 teachers nationwide, helped develop Ghana’s new secondary curriculum, and delivered televised lessons to 44,880 students. Her work in climate education includes recycling projects, environmental campaigns and tree-planting.

Sunny Varkey, Founder of the Global Teacher Prize, GEMS Education, and The Varkey Foundation, said:

“Congratulations, Jusinta. The Global Teacher Prize was created with a simple mission: to shine a light on teachers like you – educators whose dedication, creativity, and compassion deserve to be celebrated and shared with the world. Teachers shape minds, spark confidence, and open the doors through which young people create brighter futures for themselves and others. Your work extends far beyond the classroom – it touches lives and shapes the world.”

Stefania Giannini, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education, said:

“Congratulations to this year’s top 50 finalists. UNESCO is honoured to stand alongside the Global Teacher Prize in celebrating the extraordinary commitment of teachers everywhere. Our world is navigating profound challenges – from teacher shortages and rapid technological shifts to the urgent demands of climate action. If we are to build a just, inclusive and sustainable future, we must recognise a simple truth: we cannot rise to this moment unless we invest in teachers.”

GEMS Education is one of the world’s leading private K-12 education providers, educating more than 200,000 students from 176+ nationalities across its global network of owned and managed schools. With nearly half a million alumni, GEMS has built a legacy of impact that spans generations and continents. Established in Dubai in 1959, GEMS remains a family-founded and family-led organisation, guided by its visionary founder and chairman Sunny Varkey, and his sons Dino Varkey (Group CEO) and Jay Varkey (Deputy Group CEO).

The prize is open to working teachers who teach children who are in compulsory schooling or are between the ages of five and 18. Teachers who educate children age 4+ in an Early Years government-recognised curriculum are also eligible, as are teachers working on a part-time basis, and teachers of online courses. Teachers must spend at least 10 hours per week teaching and plan to remain in the profession for the next five years. It is open to teachers in every kind of school and, subject to local laws, in every country in the world.

The Global Teacher Prize, Global Schools Prize and Global Student Prize, which Sunny Varkey also founded, complete a powerful trilogy that celebrates educators, learners, and schools as institutions of innovation and change. Together, the three prizes will spark a 360-degree conversation about what it takes to deliver the best possible education, equipping children to face the future with confidence – while rethinking the future of learning for generations to come.

Teachers applying for the Global Teacher Prize are assessed on teaching practices, how they innovate to address local challenges, achieve demonstrable learning outcomes, impact the community beyond the classroom, help children become global citizens, improve the teaching profession, and gain recognition from external bodies.

Interested teachers were able to apply for the Global Teacher Prize at www.globalteacherprize.org before the December closing date.

The prize will now be narrowed down to top 10 finalists, helping to raise the bar of respect for the teaching profession. The winner will be chosen from the top 10 finalists by the Global Teacher Prize Academy, made up of prominent individuals, and will be announced at the World Governments Summit, taking place in Dubai from 3-5 February 2026.

When teachers are nominated, the person nominating them writes a brief description online explaining why. The teacher being nominated is then sent an email letting them know they have been nominated and inviting them to apply for the prize. Applicants could apply in English, Mandarin, Arabic, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Russian. To join the conversation online, please follow @TeacherPrize.