2016 WISE Awards Finalists Revealed

DOHA, Qatar, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The World Innovation Summit for Education revealed today the names of the fifteen projects selected as 2016 WISE Awards Finalists. Inaugurated by Qatar Foundation in 2009, under the leadership of its Chairperson, Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, the WISE Awards identify and promote the most innovative and effective approaches to key global education challenges, and build a network of change-makers to inspire others around the world.

Selected by a pre-Jury of international education experts, the 2016 WISE Awards Finalists offer creative solutions in access, quality education, the teaching of STEM and entrepreneurial skills. Together they address a wide range of issues that represent common global challenges. The members of pre-Jury include Mr. Kamel Braham, Program Leader at World Bank Human Development Program for the Maghreb, Dr. Rajika Bhandari, Director, IIE Center for Academic Mobility Research, USA and Dr. Joyce Akumaa Dongotey-Padi, the Executive Director of Mama Zimbi Foundation, 2009 WISE Awards Winner from Ghana.

Dr. Florence Tobo Lobé, the Founder and President of the Rubisadt Foundation in Cameroon commented on her experience of being part of pre-Jury: "I feel honored and proud to have had the opportunity to assess enriching projects fostering peace, well-being and growth in communities worldwide. The previously scrutinized finalists are inspiring projects, addressing youth unemployment, fighting poverty, helping vulnerable children in refugee camps, addressing gender inequality with innovative practices to access quality, inclusive, equitable, sustainable and holistic education. The WISE Awards are an excellent way to scale and update strategies for more beneficiaries and for better lives worldwide."

The WISE Awards Finalist projects were selected according to strict criteria. They had to demonstrate innovative thinking and a concrete positive impact on communities and societies, as well as the potential to be replicated in other contexts and regions.  

The 2016 WISE Awards Finalists:  

• Geekie, Brazil http://www.geekie.com.br/
• Ideas Box, France http://www.librarieswithoutborders.org/index.php/news-and-events/lwb-news/item/291-the-ideas-box-a-portable-multi-media-kit-for-emergency-humanitarian-situations
• Sports for Sharing, Mexico http://en.educacionparacompartir.org/
• Smart Robot Coding School, South Korea http://robotcoding.io/page/index.html
• Glowork, Saudi Arabia https://www.glowork.net/
• Tara Akshar Literacy Program, India http://taraakshar.org/
• Lights for Learning, Spain/Latin America http://lucesparaaprender.org/web/
• Partners for Possibility, South Africa http://www.pfp4sa.org/
• Little Ripples, USA/Chad http://littleripples.org/
• Jump Math, Canada http://www.jumpmath.org/
• Youth for Technology Academy, USA/Nigeria http://www.youthfortechnology.org/
• Sonidos de la Tierra, Paraguay http://www.sonidosdelatierra.org.py/
• 1Kgbox, China http://bigboxfactory.com/
• Education for growth and value creation in Lebanon, Lebanon http://www.prodeslebanon.org/
• From puppets to empowerment, Bosnia and Herzegovina http://genesisbl.org/index.php/en/