Stella Gyimaah Larbi, a Ghanaian teacher in the Adentan community school of the Greater Accra region, has been shortlisted for this year’s $1 million Global Teacher Prize, an initiative of the Varkey Foundation in collaboration with UNESCO.

Ms Gyimaah, who was named the 2022 National Best Teacher of Ghana, was selected from over 5,000 nominations and applications from 89 countries around the world.

Her journey to becoming a transformative educator is deeply rooted in her early experiences in Ghana. Inspired by her father, a teacher, and the struggles of girls in her community who lacked motivation to continue their education, Stella's passion for teaching grew.

Born in Bisease and later moving to the slums of Achimota, she witnessed first-hand the challenges faced by children living in poverty. These experiences sparked her desire to become an educator who could inspire and uplift others through the power of education.

Ms Gyimaah began her teaching career in 2011 at a Junior High School in a rural-urban community where resources were scarce. The classrooms, untouched for over a decade, were in desperate need of repair, and students lacked basic supplies. She took action by painting the classrooms, purchasing stationery, and organising remedial tuition programmes to improve attendance and learning outcomes.

One of her most significant challenges was the lack of proper facilities, including an inadequate toilet system and overcrowded classrooms. To address this, she partnered with the Rotary Club to raise funds for a new toilet facility and the refurbishment of the school library.

As a result of her dedication, the school saw a dramatic improvement in academic performance, with students moving from having no grade in English to recording 12 in a single year. This success set the tone for achieving 100 percent pass rates in all examinations.

The teacher's innovative approach to teaching has helped bridge the literacy gap for students. By integrating dramatization, group research presentations, and multimedia resources, she made learning more engaging and effective.

Her "movie station," using projectors to relate texts to images, enhanced public speaking skills and boosted student confidence. Her "Read and Write (RAW) Project" significantly increased literacy rates, with some students even publishing their own stories.

Beyond the classroom, her impact extends to the broader community. She founded a non-profit organisation focused on teacher well-being and professional development. Through her organisation, she has trained over 80,000 teachers worldwide and recognised over 2,000 teachers with citations through her Applaud Teacher Award, helping to improve teaching standards in rural areas.

Her advocacy for inclusive education has led to initiatives such as ensuring teenage mothers return to school and providing solar lamps to students in areas without electricity.

Now in its ninth year, the $1 million Global Teacher Prize is the largest prize of its kind. It was established to recognise one exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession and to highlight the crucial role teachers play in society.

By uncovering thousands of stories of heroes who have transformed young people’s lives, the prize aims to bring attention to the exceptional work of millions of teachers globally. Since its launch, the Global Teacher Prize has received over 100,000 applications and nominations from around the world.