UNESCO King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa Prize for the use of ICT in Education 2026 ($25,000 prize) – YOA

Deadline: May 29, 2026

Applications are open for the UNESCO King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa Prize for the use of ICT in Education 2026. The UNESCO King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa Prize for the Use of ICT in Education acknowledges modern approaches in leveraging new applied sciences to increase academic and lifelong studying alternatives for all, in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Goal 4 on training.

Established in 2005 with the assist of the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Prize rewards people and organizations which are implementing excellent initiatives and selling the inventive use of applied sciences to reinforce studying, educating and total academic efficiency in the digital age.

Theme of the 2026 version: Reimagining creativity and significant considering with synthetic intelligence

Education performs a pivotal function in redefining what it means to know, suppose critically, and picture in another way in the age of synthetic intelligence (AI). As AI programs produce content material and evaluation with rising fluency, they unsettle earlier assumptions about creativity and data. Yet AI programs can’t care, train judgment, or discern which means. These capacities stay basically human. Cultivating these skills requires equipping learners to query algorithmic authority, establish bias and limitations, and mix creativeness with moral judgment. In doing so, training can be certain that AI is used as a instrument for increasing human company, moderately than as an alternative for human thought.

In this context, the 2026 version of the Prize focuses on the theme “Reimagining creativity and critical thinking with artificial intelligence”. It goals to floor and amplify proof-primarily based practices throughout various contexts that show how academics and learners are participating with AI programs in ways in which encourage crucial considering, creativeness and creativity.

Prizes

• Each prize winner receives US$25,000, a medal and a diploma throughout a ceremony at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris.

Eligibility

• Applications could also be submitted by people, establishments, non-governmental organizations (NGO) or different entities with a longtime, ongoing mission (operational for no less than one 12 months).
• Projects have to be related to the 2026 theme: Reimagining creativity and significant considering with synthetic intelligence.
• The mission must be ongoing for no less than one 12 months.
• The mission and its group shouldn’t be affiliated to UNESCO or obtain any funding from UNESCO.

Selection Criteria

• Learning contexts: Vivid descriptions of contexts and situations underneath which AI is used to allow crucial considering and creativity
• Pedagogical innovation: Demonstrates inventive, contextually-related integration of AI that cultivates crucial considering and creativity
• Evidence of studying: Provides clear qualitative or quantitative proof of how college students’ crucial considering and inventive capabilities are developed by the use of AI
• Inclusion and fairness: Reflects how AI was used to achieve learners who’re excluded, marginalized or disengaged
• Agency and voice: Highlights how learners train selection, curiosity and authorship in AI-supported studying
• Replicability: Offers insights into how the initiative will be tailored by different academics in various classroom contexts

Application

• For the application to be thought of, it must be nominated by both the National Commission of the UNESCO Member State or an NGO in official partnership with UNESCO.
• All candidates are inspired to get in contact with the NGO or National Commission forward of the application course of. Self-nominations is not going to be accepted.
• Governments of UNESCO Member States and NGOs in official partnership with UNESCO are invited to elicit and nominate as much as three initiatives.

For extra info, go to UNESCO King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa Prize.