HundrED’s own innovator Koen Timmers and HundrED Ambassador Barbara Zielonka have been shortlisted for the final 10 of the Global Teacher Prize 2018. Timmers and Zielonka will find out if they’re the winner in March.
Koen Timmers, Barbara Zielonka and the other finalists have been selected from over 30,000 nominations and applications from 173 countries around the world. The Global Teacher Prize was set up to recognize 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 that have transformed young people’s lives, the prize hopes to bring to life the exceptional work of millions of teachers all over the world.
Timmers founded Global Learning, a project-based learning method that encourages students to work collaboratively and internationally on projects that are aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
The current project that students involved in Global Learning are working on is the Climate Action Project, which started in October 2017. This project is bringing together a whopping 250 schools across 66 countries to collaborate on climate change projects. This project will first help students to build their knowledge and understanding of topics relating to climate change and then move on to see the students take demonstrable steps to tackle the issue.
Making it to the final ten has been an exhaustive and exhilarating process, with the teachers being considered from many angles. Bill Gates, who announced the top ten finalists, explained, ‘Finalists were selected based on a rigorous set of criteria, including their proven effectiveness in inspiring students and helping them learn. Just as important, these teachers are leaders who have innovated in the classroom and mentored their colleagues. They have demonstrated the kind of collaboration—teachers and schools working together—that can give all students the opportunity to get a great education.’
Want to find out more about Timmers’ inspirational work? Head over to Global Learning’s project page where you can learn more and discover how to get involved in Global Learning.
We recently spoke to Zielonka about her passion for connections-based learning and why she wanted to get involved in our mission to innovate education globally as a HundrED Ambassador. Read the interview here.
