2019 WISE Prize for Education Presented to Larry Rosenstock, Founder of High Tech High, United States

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DOHA, Qatar, Nov. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

- Larry Rosenstock is recognized by WISE for his contribution to quality

education through his innovative learning model that allows students from all

socioeconomic backgrounds to succeed

The prestigious WISE Prize for Education has been presented to Mr. Larry

Rosenstock, CEO and Founding Principal of High Tech High, a network of American

public charter schools in San Diego, California. Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint

Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, presented the Prize to Mr. Rosenstock

at the Opening Plenary of the 2019 WISE Global Summit in Doha, Qatar, before an

audience of over 3,000 participants from more than 100 countries.

The WISE Prize for Education is the first distinction of its kind to

acknowledge an individual for an outstanding contribution to education. In

receiving it, Mr. Rosenstock is recognized for his lifelong dedication to

rethinking K-12 learning and tackling inequality through education. He has

pioneered the concept of project-based education – the idea that students can

and must learn crucial academic skills through hands-on projects that integrate

multiple disciplines, engage their interest, and have an authentic purpose. His

model also reimagines the role of teachers as "designers" who adapt their

curricula and blend a variety of subjects based on the specific needs of each

student.

A commitment to lifting the status of disadvantaged youth has been the driving

force of Mr. Rosenstock's professional journey. Early in his career, and

despite his training in law, Mr. Rosenstock chose to teach carpentry to

inner-city high school students in the 1960s in Boston at the height of

desegregation. Through this experience, he recognized the inherent value in

vocational education and training (VET) and the strong abilities of these

students, who were not given equal academic opportunities. This led him to

pursue a career dedicated to integrating the students who have been

historically divided and funneled into two separate tracks, often based on race

and class.

Throughout his career, Mr. Rosenstock has sought to improve the status of VET

and vocational students through several channels – legal, educational, and

entrepreneurial. He worked as an educator for 11 years, but also used his legal

expertise to co-write legislation that enhanced funding for VET and required

greater integration with academics. In starting High Tech High, he has emerged

as an innovator who has created a visible model that shows what is possible in

schools.

High Tech High (HTH), founded in 2000, breaks down a number of barriers: the

obstacles to accessing quality education, the separation of academic from

technical learning, and the isolation of schools from the community and the

real world. Tackling inequalities is at the heart of HTH's mission, with

schools that enroll students through a zip-code based lottery.

The innovative methods pioneered at HTH have helped prepare thousands of

students of all ability levels and socioeconomic backgrounds for higher

education, citizenship, and a rewarding life of work. This approach has allowed

students to reach their full potential, with 98% of High Tech High students

accepted to university (versus 69% nationwide).

Starting as a small public charter school, HTH has evolved into an integrated

network of sixteen charter schools serving approximately 5,780 students in

grades K-12 across four campuses. In 2008, Mr. Rosenstock founded the HTH

Graduate School of Education, which offers master's degrees and training to

over 5,000 teachers and school leaders each year. Educators, policymakers and

leaders from all 50 United States and 30 countries have participated in HTH

programs.

Larry Rosenstock and the HTH model are shaping the present and future of

education by serving as a proof point for the concepts of project-based

learning, teaching 21st century skills, and demonstrating that systemic change

through the classroom is possible.

Stavros N. Yiannouka, the CEO of WISE, said: "Larry's work encapsulates the

essence of the WISE Prize for Education: a decades-long commitment to education

as a force for positive individual and social transformation, manifested

through impactful work and tangible achievements as a visionary educator,

policymaker, thinker, and social entrepreneur."

On receiving the award, Larry Rosenstock said: "I am tremendously honored to

receive this prize from such a distinguished jury. To join the past laureates

who have made such an impact on education globally is a profound honor. I hope

the prize will allow us to share the work of High Tech High students and

teachers even more widely. To me the prize confirms two of my strongest

beliefs: that the work of hands and minds can and must be integrated in our

schools. And that all young people are capable of doing work that matters, when

we give them the opportunity."

Find out more about the WISE Prize for Education:

https://www.wise-qatar.org/wise-prize-for-education.

For further information www.wise-qatar.org.

Join the conversation using the hashtag #WISE19 and #WISETurns10

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Media requests and access to photographs, please contact:

Johanna Steves

media@wise.org.qa

SOURCE: WISE