Varkey Foundation

The Varkey Foundation stands in London as the non-profit arm of GEMS Education. It was set up in 2010 by Sunny Varkey, the chairman of GEMS Education. The foundation works with major global bodies such as UNESCO, UNICEF and the Clinton Global Initiative. Its main aim is to improve education for children in need. Sunny Varkey chairs the foundation alongside his sons Dino and Jay Varkey. The foundation runs programmes to train teachers in communities that lack resources. It launched the annual Global Education and Skills Forum in 2013 with UNESCO and the UAE Ministry of Education. Bill Clinton gave the opening speech at the first forum. In the same year, the foundation published the Global Teacher Status Index, a study of teacher status in 21 countries. The foundation also gives the Global Teacher Prize, a yearly award of one million dollars. The prize honours an exceptional teacher who has made a significant contribution to the profession. The award was launched at the second Global Education and Skills Forum in 2014. Sunny Varkey’s work through the foundation has helped raise the profile of teaching worldwide.