An independent international school in Gujarat and a charity school in Maharashtra are among the global institutions announced in London on Tuesday as finalists for the annual World's Best School Awards 2023.
The World's Five Best Schools Awards - for community collaboration, environmental action, innovation, overcoming adversity and supporting healthy lifestyles - recognize schools for their central role in developing the next generation of learners and their enormous contribution to social development , especially post-Covid.
Riverside School in Ahmedabad, Gujarat was recognized for its innovative, student-centered approach to education, making it to the bottom three in the "News" category.
Snehalaya English Medium School in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra was recognized for transforming the lives of HIV/AIDS patients by being among the final three in the "Overcoming the Odds" category.

"You and the other finalists have inspired me with the leadership, vision, and culture you have fostered and the exceptional teaching and learning environment you have created," said Vikas Pota, founder of T4 Education and the World's Best School Awards. "As the world struggles to face a deepening education crisis, these outstanding Indian schools are lighting the way to a better future. It is time for all governments to listen to your voice and learn from your expertise," he said.
The winners of the five awards in all categories are chosen by an academy of experienced judges based on strict criteria and announced in November. The $250,000 prize will be split equally among the winners, with each winner receiving a $50,000 prize.

In addition, digital media platform T4 Education launched a new Community Choice Award this year, open to 15 schools that are top three finalists in five of the World's Best Schools awards. It will be awarded to the school that received the most support in the referendum that began this week. The Community Choice Award winner will receive membership in T4 Education's new Best School to Work program. It is an independent, evidence-based mechanism that assesses schools on their culture and helps them change their working environment to attract and retain the best teachers.
Riverside School stood out for its implementation of the "MI CAN Pedagogical Model" and the Feel, Imagine, Do, Share (FIDS) program, which is also an online learning platform used by many schools around the world.

The platform reached 2 million children through Design for Change schools, and Riverside conducted nationwide remote and in-person workshops to train more than 1,000 state teachers on the FIDS framework and its implementation in their contexts.
Overall, Riverside School has made a significant impact on education through its student-centered approach, innovative pedagogical model, and widespread dissemination of the FIDS program, notes the World's Best School Award. If a school wins the World's Best School Innovation Award, it will use the award to expand the reach of the FIDS program by developing more digital learning content and supporting schools and teachers around the world with research- and practice-based resources to help more children. . finishes his "I Can Mindset".

Meanwhile, Snehalaya English Medium School in Ahmednagar has been praised for rewriting the narrative for marginalized communities in semi-rural India.
The school's students are at risk of systematic discrimination, as 25 percent of the school's students are HIV-infected and an even greater number are children of sex workers. The school overcame initial challenges to enroll students who did not come from such disadvantaged backgrounds by contacting village leaders who arranged meetings with parents to openly discuss and alleviate their concerns.
In addition to bringing about this change through affordable and quality education, Snehalaya English Medium School believes in empowering students to learn outside the classroom from changemakers, international volunteers, teachers, leaders, and social workers, inspiring them to become socially aware and accepting. the world's best school awards. When Snehalaya English Medium School wins the World's Best Overcoming School Award, it uses the award to expand its educational program so that more children can benefit from its unique education, promote inclusion, and break the stigma surrounding HIV. / AIDS and sex work.
The World's Best School Awards were established in 2022 by T4 Education to share best practices from schools around the world that make a real difference in the lives of their students and their communities.