Concordia Shanghai named in Top 10 shortlist for World's Best School Prize for Supporting Healthy Lives

SHANGHAI, June 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- An international school in China has been named in the Top 10 shortlists for the World's Best School Prizes 2024. The five World's Best School Prizes, founded by T4 Education in collaboration with Accenture, American Express, and the Lemann Foundation, are the world's most prestigious education prizes and this year's winners will share a $50,000 prize fund.

Concordia International School Shanghai, an independent preschool through secondary school in Shanghai, China, which fosters a healthy, connected community, boosting staff wellbeing and enhancing student success, has been named in the Top 10 shortlist for the World's Best School Prize for Supporting Healthy Lives.

The five World's Best School Prizes - for Community Collaboration, Environmental Action, Innovation, Overcoming Adversity, and Supporting Healthy Lives – were established in the wake of COVID in 2022 to give a platform to schools that are changing lives in their classrooms and far beyond their walls, sharing their best practices to help improve education everywhere.

The winners of the five Prizes will be chosen by an expert Judging Academy based on rigorous criteria. In addition, all 50 shortlisted schools across the five Prizes will also take part in a Public Vote, which opened on June 13, 2024. The school which receives the most public votes will receive the Community Choice Award and membership to T4 Education's Best School to Work programme to help them support teacher wellbeing and solve the teacher recruitment and retention crisis. 

Vikas Pota, Founder of T4 Education and the World's Best School Prizes, said:

"Unless we solve the urgent challenges global education faces – from learning gaps exacerbated by COVID to chronic underfunding and the growing teacher wellbeing, recruitment and retention crisis – we will have failed the next generation.

"Trailblazing schools like Concordia International School Shanghai, which have cultivated a strong culture and aren't afraid to innovate, show the difference that can be made to so many lives. Schools everywhere can now learn from their solutions, and it's time governments do so as well."

About the school:

Concordia International School Shanghai, an independent preschool to secondary school in Shanghai, China, fosters a healthy, connected community, boosting staff wellbeing and enhancing student success. Serving 1,152 students, Concordia offers a robust American curriculum supported by 269 staff members.

A key initiative of the school is its Employee Wellness Programme, launched in 2015 based on the recognition of the intense pressures of a fast-paced, competitive academic environment. Acknowledging the critical role faculty and staff play in nurturing student success, Concordia International School Shanghai aimed to support their physical, emotional, and social wellbeing.

The programme began with a wellness competition, achieving a 70% participation rate in its first year. It went on to include fitness classes, cultural outings, and workday retreats, with participation rates soaring to 95-99%. These activities have significantly enhanced the sense of community and wellbeing among staff.  

The impact on students has been significant. Healthier, more engaged teachers have led to increased classroom presence, contributing to better student performance. Additionally, student-focused wellness initiatives and Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) integrated into the curriculum ensure that student wellbeing remains a priority. The programme also includes parents, creating a supportive community that positively influences students. This comprehensive approach ensures that both staff and students thrive in a supportive environment.

Next steps:

The Top 3 finalists for each of the five World's Best School Prizes will be announced in September 2024 followed by the winners in November. The winner of each Prize will be chosen based on rigorous criteria by a Judging Academy comprising distinguished leaders across the globe including academics, educators, NGOs, social entrepreneurs, government, civil society, and the private sector.

A prize of US$50,000 will be equally shared among the winners of the five Prizes, with each receiving an award of US$10,000. Meanwhile, the winner of the Community Choice Award, as determined by the Public Vote, will receive membership to Best School to Work - an independent, evidence-based mechanism to certify schools for their culture and working environment. Membership comes with detailed feedback, actionable insights, and benchmarking data to help schools transform their culture to attract and retain the best teachers.

ABOUT T4 EDUCATION:

We believe every child, everywhere, deserves a good education. We are building the world's largest community of teachers and schools to achieve this. Together. Our digital media platform provides opportunities for educators to network, collaborate, share good practices, and support each other's efforts to improve learning and school culture. We work to amplify teachers' voices because the world we want to see will only be built by listening to those at the heart of education.

For more information, please contact Salman Shaheen: salman@t4.education