{"id":4282,"date":"2018-03-18T05:15:33","date_gmt":"2018-03-18T05:15:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/middleeastevents.com\/blog\/?p=4282"},"modified":"2018-03-18T05:15:33","modified_gmt":"2018-03-18T05:15:33","slug":"the-varkey-foundation-launches-inaugural-next-billion-edtech-prize-to-recognize-leading-ed-tech-startups-making-an-impact-on-education-in-low-income-and-emerging-economies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.middleeastevents.com\/blog\/the-varkey-foundation-launches-inaugural-next-billion-edtech-prize-to-recognize-leading-ed-tech-startups-making-an-impact-on-education-in-low-income-and-emerging-economies\/","title":{"rendered":"The Varkey Foundation Launches Inaugural \u2018Next Billion\u2019 Edtech Prize To Recognize Leading Ed-Tech Startups Making An Impact On Education In Low Income And Emerging Economies"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Varkey Foundation today launched the inaugural \u2018Next Billion\u2019 Edtech Prize to recognise the most innovative technology destined to have a radical impact on education in low income and emerging world countries.<\/p>\n

This new prize will identify, spotlight and celebrate the world\u2019s leading edtech startups that have shown through ingenuity and innovation that they can improve learning in parts of the world where there is limited access to good quality teaching.<\/p>\n

According to UNESCO, 264 million children do not have access to schooling, while at least 600 million more are \u201cin school but not learning\u201d. These are children who are not achieving even basic skills in maths and reading, which the World Bank calls a \u201clearning crisis\u201d.<\/p>\n

Sunny Varkey, Founder of the Varkey Foundation and the Next Billion Prize said<\/strong>,<\/p>\n

“Over a billion young people \u2013 a number growing every day – are being denied what should be the birthright of every single child in the 21st century, no matter where they live: a good education that allows them to make the most of their God-given talents.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have launched the \u2018Next Billion Prize\u2019 to highlight technology\u2019s potential to tackle the problems that have proven too difficult for successive generations of politicians to solve. Our fervent hope is that the prize inspires practical and persistent entrepreneurs the world over to come forward with fresh tech ideas. These ideas must be hardy enough to improve education in regions where young people are denied access to a good quality teacher and a great learning environment\u201d.<\/em><\/p>\n

The prize, which comes five years after the Varkey Foundation founded the US $1 million Global Teacher Prize, will be awarded for the first time at the Global Education and Skills Fo\u00a7rum (GESF) 2018 taking place on the 17-18 March in Dubai. Widely referred to as the \u201cDavos of Education\u201d, the GESF, brings together over 2000 delegates from around the world to solve the big questions in global education.<\/p>\n

Over 40 of the world\u2019s most cutting edge ed-tech start ups, with a focus on low income and emerging economies, have been selected to pitch for the \u2018Next Billion\u2019 Prize at GESF 2018. They will pitch to an expert panel of judges, made up of venture capitalists, philanthropic investors, experts in ed tech and learning sciences, and senior education policy makers as well as a live audience of GESF delegates made up of leading education figures from public, private and social sectors.<\/p>\n

The \u2018Next Billion\u2019 prize will be the focal point of Tomorrow<\/em><\/strong>, a new edtech summit taking place for the first time at the GESF. All the ed-tech starts ups pitching in the \u2018Next Billion\u2019 Prize will also have a \u201cmoney can\u2019t buy\u201d opportunity to participate in:<\/p>\n