- 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