Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
The Global Teacher Prize Chile 2026 is now open for applications from teachers nationwide, offering recognition in three categories: Holistic Education, Early Childhood Education, and Music Education. This national award is modeled after the international Global Teacher Prize, often referred to as the “Nobel Prize for Teaching.”
Organized by the Chilean public-private initiative Elige Educar and supported by the UNESCO Regional Office in Santiago, the prize aims to raise awareness and reward the fundamental contributions educators make in shaping future generations. Esther Kuisch Laroche, Director of the UNESCO Regional Office in Santiago, emphasized the importance of initiatives that spotlight educators’ leadership and impact.
Verónica Cabezas, Executive Director of Elige Educar, underlined the significance of making teachers’ work more visible and appreciated nationally, noting their daily connection with students as essential to shaping Chile’s future.
The Early Childhood Education category is for educators in various early learning settings, including nurseries, kindergartens, language schools, and non-conventional modalities. This category is promoted in collaboration with Fundación Educacional Oportunidad and Fundación YA. The Music Education category is designed for music teachers in schools, youth and children's orchestras, or community choirs. The Holistic Education category includes teachers in primary and secondary education, youth and adult education, hospital schools, and other teaching environments, covering subjects across the curriculum such as Language, Mathematics, and History.