The Sustainability Institute in Lynedoch, Stellenbosch, offers learning programs that focus, among other things, on sustainability, well-being and experiential learning (Photo: Sustainability Institute / Facebook)
The Sustainability Institute Schools Program (SISP) in the Lynedoch Valley outside Stellenbosch has been named as one of the top 50 schools on the shortlist for the Global Schools Prize 2026.
SISP is the only South African school to have made it to this stage of the competition.
The school was selected in the health and wellness category from almost 3,000 nominations and applications from 113 countries. However, it is not known how many South African schools applied for the prize.
The Global Schools Prize, an initiative of the Varkey Foundation, is an international education prize worth $1 million. The prize honors schools that, according to the foundation, work innovatively and have a measurable impact on learners and communities.
SISP serves 142 children aged four months to 18 years in a Montessori-inspired environment and is registered as an independent special school. The program includes, among other things, emotional support, nutrition, movement, creativity and contact with nature in the school day.
According to the organizers, learners in gr. 8 to gr. 12 improved their academic results this year by an average of 9.6%. All six of the school’s 2024 matrics passed. Ten young women also took part in the Oribi entrepreneurship programme, while the school’s drama group progressed in a provincial competition with a play written by the learners themselves.
More than 24,000 nutritious meals are provided annually through the program. Community Keepers also offered 152 emotional support sessions to 34 learners in one term.
Learners regularly participate in gardening, cycling, horse sports, aerial acrobatics, journal writing and art activities. Programs such as NextGen Men focus on issues such as gender-based violence, while emotional support circles offer teenagers a safe space to talk about their experiences.
Sunny Varkey, founder of the Varkey Foundation, Global Schools Prize and Gems Education, congratulated SISP on its inclusion in the shortlist.
“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 changing world. By highlighting your achievement, we hope to inspire a global movement to reimagine learning and turn bold ideas into real impact.”
The top 50 schools will eventually be whittled down to ten category winners. Each of these winners will receive $50,000. One school will then be named overall winner and receive $500,000 to further expand its work.
The winner is expected to be announced in May during the Education World Forum in London.
The other top 50 finalists come from countries and territories such as the US, the UK, Spain, India, Italy, Kenya, Uganda, Canada, Australia, China, Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, Cambodia, Rwanda, the Philippines, Yemen, Palestine and Ukraine. Uganda, Spain and the United Kingdom each have three shortlisted schools. South Africa is represented by SISP. The full list of schools that made the top 50 shortlist can be seen in this video.