Varkey Foundation Newsletter November 2019 Peter Tabichi’s whirlwind US and UK tour Touring the US and the UK this autumn, Global Teacher Prize Winner 2019 Peter Tabichi set out his Science Challenge to those in power to support STEM learning in Africa. The Kenyan maths and physics teacher’s whirlwind tour of the United States began by discussing his Science Challenge with President Trump in the Oval Office of the White House. Peter then met with leaders of the World Bank, was granted the honour of opening the US Congress with a prayer, and spoke at the United Nations in New York Read more Peter Tabichi features on CNN’s African Changemakers Global Education & Skills Forum Update  The Year 2020 will mark the beginning of a “decade of delivery” in education – with ten years left to meet the sustainable development goal of promising every child a good education by 2030 Read more Thousands apply for Global Teacher Prize 2020 We want to thank teachers, pupils, and parents across the world for nominating their favourite teachers for the Global Teacher Prize 2019. After our campaign on social media, we have received thousands of applications from inspirational teachers. We look to drawing up a Top 50 shortlist in the New Year as we seek to shine a light on the incredible work teachers do every day. Hosting Latin American education summits A total of 28 distinguished teachers from 14 countries came together in Buenos Aires in September for the Latin American Varkey Foundation Teacher Ambassador Summit. The summit provided a key opportunity for leading teachers to discuss the crucial issues impacting education on the continent. The Varkey Foundation also hosted the Transforming Schools Annual Summit in Buenos Aires in September, where more than 700 delegates from across the continent gathered to hear from speakers including the education ministers from Mexico, Brazil, Colombia and Argentina. In sharp relief at the summit were new ways of learning through innovation and technology. Why EdTech policy needs a critical update Today, there are more computers in schools than ever before. For decades, governments around the world have invested in ICT and EdTech. However, there is still little to no evidence that learning technologies have had a positive impact on learning outcomes at the national level. The Atlantis Group spoke with teachers, school leaders, researchers and EdTech developers and to produce this new report. Read more The Atlantis Group’s "Bucharest Declaration" The Varkey Foundation’s Atlantis Group of 26 former ministers and heads of government, all experts in the field of education, met in early October in Bucharest, at the National School of Political and Administrative Studies (SNSPA) to discuss the latest challenges facing global education. There the Atlantis Group issued and adopted the "Bucharest Declaration" that will see them lobbying for governments to intensify efforts worldwide to finance education, solve problems that fuel the global education crisis and combat functional illiteracy. A new National Teacher Prize for Mexico We are proud to announce the National Teacher Prize Mexico has been signed and will be launched with Movimiento STEM in 2020. A total of 33 National Teacher Prizes are currently running around the world, helping unearth thousands of stories of inspirational teachers. Keep plugged into our social media channels Don’t forget to follow the worldwide work, campaigns and causes of the Varkey Foundation on our social media channels. They have really got people talking this year, with the Global Teacher Prize Facebook account reaching a staggering 109,000 engagements over March. The Global Teacher Prize also has its own Instagram and Twitter accounts as well as a YouTube channel, where you will continue to find interesting content. #TeachersMatter