PH School Breaks into Global Schools Prize Top 50

The Philippine Business and News — Thu, 07 May 2026 17:13:00 +0000

International School for Better Beginnings (ISBB) in Lucena City, has been named the only school from the Philippines in the top 50 shortlist for the Global Schools Prize 2026, an initiative of the Varkey Foundation celebrating the world’s most innovative and impactful schools that are reimagining education for the future.

The school was selected in the Character and Values category from almost 3,000 nominations and applications from 113 countries around the world.

Founded by renowned education pioneer and philanthropist Sunny Varkey, the $1 million Global Schools Prize is the largest prize of its kind. Today’s top 50 announcement recognises outstanding schools worldwide that demonstrate exceptional drive and ambition for their students, regardless of circumstance, ensuring every learner has the chance to thrive.

The top 50 shortlisted schools are awarded a Global Schools Prize Badge, symbolising world-class impact and achievement in areas ranging from AI transformation to teacher development. These schools are also welcomed into the Global Schools Network, gaining access to partnerships, professional development, and global collaboration opportunities with other leading institutions.

ISBB, a K-12 school, has become a global model for character education by turning values from lectures into lived action. Built on four core values – Integrity, Solidarity, Brilliance, and Benevolence ISBB embeds character formation into every subject through Outcomes-Based Education, where Grade 1 pupils manage a social enterprise supporting marine life, Grade 3 students work with the UN FAO to support Filipino farmers, and Grade 10 students run livelihood workshops for prison inmates.

Students lead over 100 initiatives annually, impacting 20,000+ community members, and organise the Philippines’ largest UN SDG event.

ISBB’s pioneering approach has earned global recognition: presenting at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris to education ministries of 150+ nations, training 600+ teachers worldwide for the British Council, being hosted by the UN SDSN and Vatican City, training American educators via the Institute of World Affairs, mentoring African climate education leaders, and presenting at regional SEAMEO events. ISBB was also recognised by the AFS Award for Young Global Citizens in New York and the National Sustainable Leadership Award in Education.

Sunny Varkey, Founder of the Varkey Foundation, the Global Schools Prize, and GEMS Education, said. “Congratulations, International School for Better Beginnings. Your approach to teaching and learning powerfully demonstrates how schools play a defining role in equipping young people with the knowledge, skills, and values needed to shape our rapidly evolving world. By highlighting your achievement, we hope to inspire a global movement to reimagine learning and turn bold ideas into real-world impact. This is more than an award – it’s a platform to spark a global conversation about scaling the best ideas in education and advancing action far beyond the classroom.”

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PH School Breaks into Global Schools Prize Top 50