Psychology alumna Robin Chaurasiya nominated for the Global Teacher Prize
Robin Chaurasiya (PSYC ’06) has been named one of 50 finalists for the 2016 Global Teacher Prize by the Varkey Foundation. Known as the Nobel Prize for teaching, the $1 million prize recognizes one exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession and who shines a spotlight on the important role that teachers play in society. This year’s nominees represent 29 countries around the world.
Chaurasiya is co-founder of Kranti, a nonprofit that works with young women aged 12-20 from Mumbai, India who are survivors of human trafficking and daughters of sex workers. Kranti is the Hindi word for revolution, and Chaurasiya’s students are called Krantikaries, or Revolutionaries. The name of the organization is a representation of its overall goal—to empower young women to be agents of social change.
As a teacher at Kranti, Chaurasiya developed a social justice curriculum focused on addressing 20 different issues in the lives of these girls. Through a combination of workshops, documentaries, speakers, fieldtrips, theater, and extracurricular activities, the curriculum examines topics ranging from class to religion to women’s rights. Her students have become teachers themselves, leading workshops for more than 100,000 students and parents, and delivering 11 TEDx Talks around the world.
The winner of the 2016 Global Teacher Prize will be announced in March 2016 at the Global Education and Skills Forum in Dubai.
