Global Teacher Prize 2017 finalist – Maggie MacDonnell from Canada

Global Teacher Prize

Maggie MacDonnell is one of the ten finalists in with a chance of winning the Global Teacher Prize worth $1 million on Sunday 19 March.

Maggie has been a teacher in Ikusik School, in the Canadian Arctic, for six years. You can only get to the remote Inuit village by plane, and just 1% of its population attend college-level programs. Teenage pregnancies and young male suicides are common. Teenagers often turn to drinking and smoking, even drugs and self-harm, to escape the isolation.

To help the problems, Maggie set up a fitness centre and grew a running club with seven members she trained to enter a half marathon in Hawaii. Now, the fitness centre has become a hub for the community, relieving stress, and helping young people grow stronger physically and mentally. Maggie has created life-skills programs in the community, which have led to a 500% increase in school registration for girls on these programs.

Come back to First News this Sunday, 19 March, at 4pm (GMT) to watch a very special announcement of the winner – it’ll be out of this world! You can read more about the winner in Issue 562 of First News, on sale Friday 24 March.

Watch videos about all the all ten finalists.

Watch what Prince Harry has to say about the Global Teacher Prize 2017 finalists.

Find out more about the Global Teacher Prize.

What do you think makes a great teacher? Tell us in the comments below!