Nominations Open for the German School Award 2022

Deadline: 15-Feb-22

Nominations are now open for the German School Award 2022 to support schools nationwide in their school development and offer practice-oriented programs for all types of schools.

“Make teaching better” is the motto of the German School Prize 2022. The current call for tenders focuses on the quality of teaching.

Award Details

All nominated schools will be invited to a festive award ceremony depending on the current situation. In addition, all nominees will be awarded prize money of 5,000 euros each. The second-placed winners will receive prize money of 25,000 euros, the main prize is endowed with 100,000 euros.

How do you design effective learning at your school?

By effective teaching they mean teaching that promotes the learning of all students, initiates professional and personal as well as methodical and social learning and supports them in the best possible way in achieving the educational goals. Successful school-based learning includes – based on the extended concept of learning – subject-specific, interdisciplinary and personal educational goals.
In addition to subject-related school performance, this also includes interdisciplinary learning strategies, but also oral and written language skills, motivational-emotional orientations, professional interests and the joy of learning. In addition, there are social skills such as taking responsibility and the ability to cooperate as well as other personal characteristics such as perseverance, resilience, self-reflection and self-efficacy.

Eligibility Criteria

All general and vocational schools in public and private sponsorship, including German schools abroad, can participate in the German School Prize 2022.
Schools that have already applied for the German School Prize in the past and former schools participating in the German School Prize development program can also take part. Winning schools and active participants in the development program are not permitted to apply.
School networks can also apply, but a leading actor in the application must be recognizable.
Also this year schools can be recommended by pupils, parents and partners from outside the school.

Selection Process

Phase 1: The written application
- The schools must apply online on the German School Prize applicant portal by February 15, 2022. All documents are submitted on this portal. All information about the written application can be found on the applicant portal.
Phase 2: the interviews
- After the schools have submitted their applications, the jurors will conduct interviews with all applicant schools in order to get to know the schools better and, if necessary, to ask for further documents. In addition to one representative: Two other persons, named by the school, in the school management can take part in the interviews. Two jurors at a time will conduct the interviews together.
Phase 3: The 1st jury meeting – decision on TOP 20 schools
- After all applications have been assessed and interviews have been held with all schools, the jurors will meet in a first meeting in April 2022 to discuss all applicant schools (based on the application documents and the interviews). Following the jury meeting, the TOP 20 schools for the German School Prize 2022 will be announced.
Phase 4: School visits to the TOP 20 schools
- The TOP 20 schools will then be visited by jury teams from mid-May 2022. The jury teams are multi-professional and come from school practice, science and administration. The focus of the school visits are the class observations. The focus of the assessments is on the individual focus of the teaching concepts and development of the schools. In addition, interviews are held with the school management, the teaching staff, parent representatives, students and, if necessary, partners outside of school.
Phase 5: The 2nd jury meeting – decision on nominees and award winners
- After school visits and before the summer holidays, the selection committee meets for a final jury meeting to decide on the award-winning schools and the nominated schools. Up to 15 schools will be nominated for the German School Prize 2022.
Phase 6: The award ceremony
- All nominated schools will be invited to a festive award ceremony in Berlin. The six award-winning schools will be announced at the award ceremony at the beginning of the 2022/23 school year.
Phase 7: Award winners network
- All award-winning schools will be included in the award-winning network of the German School Award. The network works closely with the regional offices in thematic, regional and national contexts. In addition, the German School Prize supports the award-winning schools with their own offers. This includes, for example, annual conferences and quality circles.