The World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE), a leading international initiative for innovation and collaboration in education, has named six winning projects of the 2017 WISE Awards to recognise and promote innovative education initiatives around the world.

The 2017 WISE Awards winners are: 42 (France/US); Lights to Learn (Spain/Latin America); PhET Interactive Simulations (U S/global); The Learner Guide Programme (Tanzania/UK); The Speed School project (US/global) and Ubongo Edutainment (Tanzania).

The six winners were selected from a group of 15 finalists by a panel of expert judges.

The six winning projects, as well as the runners-up, will be celebrated at the eighth WISE summit, to be held from November14-16 in Doha. In addition to publicity and networking opportunities, each winning project receives $20,000.

42 is a free computer programming training programme open to anyone between the ages of 18-30, whether they possess an academic degree or not. The programme focuses on peer-to-peer learning and learning through group projects.

Lights to Learn is a programme led by the Organisation of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and Culture to provide electricity and support quality education and community development in rural and marginalised regions of Latin America. It does so through the installation of photovoltaic systems, internet, IT equipment, teacher training, and community development.

PhET Interactive Simulations is an engaging education solution that promotes science and math literacy through interactive simulations. It is founded by Nobel Laureate Carl Wieman and housed at University of Colorado Boulder.

The Learner Guide Programme is a mentorship programme led by Camfed Tanzania to support education and employment opportunities for young women in rural areas.

The Speed School project is an intensive, child-centred programme run by the Luminos Fund to enable out-of-school children to catch up to their grade level at government schools.

Ubongo Edutainment is a Dar-es-Salaam-based initiative that provides fun learning to millions of children in Africa through animated educational content across multiple platforms including TV, SMS, and smart phones.

Stavros N. Yiannouka, CEO, WISE, remarked: “From rural Tanzania and South America, to Silicon Valley and Paris, our six WISE Awards winners reflect the wide range of what can be achieved in advancing education¬ – whatever the social or geographical context – when there is a creative solution and a determination to see it through. We look forward to showcasing our winners and runners-up at the WISE Summit in Doha in November, and to supporting their progress as they grow.”

To be selected, the winning projects were required to show success and innovation, demonstrating a transformative impact on individuals, communities, and society. They must be financially stable, have a clear development plan, and be scalable and replicable. The judging process, as well as on-site due diligence, was overseen by independent education consultants from Parthenon-EY.

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