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Nancie Atwell with a special cake presented by Center for Teaching and Learning students in honor of the announcement that she is a finalist for the Global Teacher Prize. (photo courtesy of Center for Teaching and Learning) |
By Abigail W. Adams
Nancie Atwell, of the Center for Teaching and Learning, has been named a top 10 finalist for the Varkey GEMS Foundation’s Global Teacher Prize, an award that aspires to be the Nobel Prize for educators. The top 10 finalists, which include educators from Afghanistan, India, Haiti, Kenya, Cambodia, the U.K., and Kenya, were announced Friday, Feb. 13.
The finalists will travel to Dubai, United Arab Emirates in March to participate in the Global Education and Skills Forum where the winner will be announced – the prize is $1 million.
“I’m over the moon,” Atwell said. “I’m honored and excited.”
Atwell, a longtime educator, established the Center for Teaching and Learning in 1990 to serve as a “demonstration school.” The K-8 school provides students with a rich curriculum and supportive learning environment. It also provides educators from around the globe a hands-on opportunity to learn from the school’s innovative approach to education.
The Global Teacher Prize is a new award created by the Varkey GEMS Foundation to promote the field of education. Fifty teachers were selected as finalists out of thousands of applications from around the globe in December.
Last week, Atwell was informed about her selection as a top 10 finalist. She was sworn to secrecy until the official announcement so the foundation could notify all 50 finalists.
Atwell said her selection as a top 10 finalist was a testament to the significance of the Center for Teaching and Learning’s approach to education.
The Center for Teaching and Learning celebrated the news by transforming its regular morning meeting into a party. The center’s staff spoke about the history and philosophy of the school. Children read poetry, sang songs, and presented Atwell with roses.
“It was a great time to consider the history of the school and all the methods, rituals, and traditions that make the school so special and important,” Atwell said.
“What we do here and our whole way of being as a school community has been singled out and celebrated,” Atwell said.
Atwell will travel to Dubai on March 14. She said she is excited to meet the other finalists. “They’re all such fascinating people,” Atwell said. “They’re doing incredible work in so many different parts of the world. I’m looking forward to hanging out with them and learning from them.”
Atwell said in a previous interview if she wins the $1 million prize she will donate every cent of it to the Center for Teaching and Learning.
