Imagine Worldwide in Africa has been named the winner of the inaugural Global EdTech Prize, in the Non-Profit category, for its tablet-based foundational learning programme. The announcement was made at the World Schools Summit at Yasmina British Academy, Abu Dhabi, UAE, on 16 November.
Supplied image: Representative of Imagine Worldwide - winner of the inaugural Global EdTech Prize (Non-profit category)
Winners of the two other categories:
- Start-Ups: Brisk from Brisk Teaching (USA)
- Majors: Matific Maths Game from Matific (Australia)
The Global EdTech Prize, which was founded this year by T4 Education with the support of Owl Ventures, recognises those trailblazing solutions that are driving change and grappling with the most crucial challenges in today’s classrooms.
Adjudication process
The Global EdTech Prize is awarded annually in three categories: Non-Profits, Start-Ups, and Majors.
The top 10 finalists for each of the three categories were invited to the World Schools Summit – hosted by T4 Education, Aldar Education and the Emirates Foundation and supported by CIFF, Google, Microsoft, and HP – where they showcased their work before an expert panel comprising leading figures in the technology and education sectors, including investors and policymakers from around the world.
The expert panel then narrowed down the final three per category, who went on to present their products and tools before educators at the World Schools Summit. Educators voted by secret ballot to determine the winner of each category, with the winners announced live on stage at the culmination of the summit.
"We established the Global EdTech Prize to help scale the innovations that are making a real difference to the most intractable educational challenges, from enhancing literacy development to building lifelong skills, supporting social mobility, and closing learning gaps," said Vikas Pota, founder of T4 Education and the Global EdTech Prize. "And we ensured it is judged by educators themselves, because they know what works best in their classrooms."
About Imagine Worldwide's tablet-based foundational learning programme
Imagine Worldwide’s learning solution is designed to work in the most challenging environments and operates without internet connectivity and does not require grid-power or highly-skilled teachers. A child who has never seen technology and is illiterate can start their literacy and numeracy journey by listening to their own teacher avatar, via headphones, guiding them in the national language of instruction, from how to use tablets to basic literacy concepts and ultimately to fluency.
Each primary school-aged child learns independently on a tablet - used by an average of five students per day for 30-60 mins each. Tablets work without internet connectivity and are solar-powered. Adaptive software includes a culturally appropriate literacy/numeracy curriculum in the local language of instruction, created by software partner Onebillion. Tablet sessions align with the national curriculum and supplement teacher-led instruction with children learning at their own direction and pace.
Assisting Africa
Meanwhile, Global Community of Practice from Team4Tech Foundation, which operates in many African countries, made the final three for the Global EdTech Prize in the Non-Profits category.
Team4Tech is a global impact accelerator for education-focused NGOs, providing them with technology-supported, evidence-based practices to advance education for employability. It currently supports 1,000+ NGOs from more than 100 countries in a free online community of practice, with courses, learning cohorts, toolkits, webinars and pro bono consulting from skilled volunteers.
