Misryoum highlights four 2025 McGraw Prize recipients advancing learning from classrooms to lifelong STEM and higher education.
Education innovators are being recognized in a major global spotlight this year, with Misryoum reporting that the 2025 Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education will honor four leaders for work that is reshaping how people learn.
The McGraw Prize. administered through a partnership involving the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. selects recipients across three areas: pre-K to 12 learning. higher education. and lifelong learning.. This year’s honorees include Rapelang Rabana and Joe Wolf, Dr.. Cathy N.. Davidson, and Dr.. Frederic Bertley, each credited with pushing new models designed to widen opportunity and improve learning experiences.
What makes these awards stand out is their emphasis on practical impact, not just ideas. In education, recognition like this signals where the field is placing its bets for what should scale, what should be redesigned, and who needs to be reached first.
In the pre-K–12 category. Rabana and Wolf are recognized for building education technology intended to support children with limited access to learning resources.. As leaders at Imagine Worldwide. they are associated with a program that uses solar-powered. offline tablets delivering personalized instruction aimed at foundational literacy and numeracy.. Their approach is described as evidence-based and community- and government-partnered, with trials reported across different settings.
For higher education, Dr.. Cathy N.. Davidson is honored for her efforts to reimagine how universities can serve students in changing social and economic conditions.. Misryoum notes her focus on digital literacy. learning science. and interdisciplinary innovation. along with initiatives aimed at equity. social mobility. and student-centered learning.. Her work is also tied to transformation efforts intended to connect learning with student success.
This category matters because universities shape the next generation of teachers, researchers, and professionals. When higher education is redesigned around student needs and inclusive access, it can change outcomes well beyond any single campus.
The lifelong learning prize goes to Dr.. Frederic Bertley, recognized for expanding science education beyond traditional classrooms.. Through his leadership of COSI. a science center in Columbus. Ohio. the work is framed as turning museums and media into broader learning ecosystems. bringing hands-on experiences and public communication into ongoing STEM learning for large numbers of learners.
Misryoum also notes that the McGraw Prize is presented through a long-standing process that includes public nominations and multi-stage judging. with the award ceremony scheduled for November 13.. In addition. the program is supported by a broader network of past winners and ongoing convenings intended to share effective approaches.
Ultimately. the value of the McGraw Prize lies in what it amplifies: approaches that are meant to be replicated. sustained. and measured.. For students and educators. these signals can influence what gets funded. what gets adopted. and how quickly new teaching and learning strategies move from concept to real-world benefit.
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