We are proud to share that Franklin School in Jersey City, part of Dwight's global network of schools, has been announced as the winner of the 2025 World’s Best School Prize for Innovation by T4 Education. The prize is part of T4’s prestigious World’s Best School Prizes, which honor institutions across the world that are transforming education and changing lives beyond the classroom.

“Being named the World’s Most Innovative School is more than just an award, it’s proof of what happens when visionary educators and fearless students co-create learning, harness breakthrough tools, and reimagine education itself,” said Head of School William Campbell. “Together, we are not just preparing students for the future, we are shaping it.”

Franklin — which was the only North American institution shortlisted as a finalist in its category, the first school in the US to receive the Prize for Innovation, and the first New Jersey school to receive a World’s Best School Prize — was recognized for our technology-driven, student co-designed learning model that prepares students to thrive in a rapidly shifting professional world. At the heart of this model is Franklin’s state-of-the-art Fab Lab, a space that integrates technology and design across disciplines. Students are empowered to take ownership of their learning, build advanced skills, and drive long-term, workforce-level projects that address pressing societal challenges.

Franklin’s model comes alive through bold, student-driven initiatives such as:

• Student-Run Micro Startups: Student teams design and launch ventures, from AI apps to sustainable products.
• Living Prototype Campus: Students use the school itself as a testbed, developing solutions such as human-centered learning models and curriculum synthesis opportunities.
• Global Venture Exchanges: Through the global network of Dwight Schools, students co-develop prototypes with peers abroad to address global-scale problems.
• Faculty Professional Development Continuum: Teachers dedicate 100 minutes each week in Franklin’s PD program to advanced pedagogy, sharpening their craft and inspiring students’ deep immersion in authentic, future-focused learning.

These initiatives, and many more, reflect Franklin’s belief that students learn best when they are creators of knowledge, not just consumers, and that they are never too young to lead and problem-solve for their communities and the world.

Franklin also serves as an innovation hub for schools across the country as the leading North American Node of the Fab Lab Learning Academy (FLA). In this role, Franklin connects schools, educators, and researchers into a powerful innovation network that transforms teaching and learning. For example, Franklin hosts Teacher Innovation Residencies, where faculty from Franklin and surrounding schools are immersed in a Fab Learning Curriculum delivered by Jaymes Dec, Franklin’s Director of Innovation, in their Fab Lab facility.

Vikas Pota, Founder of T4 Education and the World’s Best School Prizes, said, “I want to congratulate Franklin School in Jersey City, New Jersey, on the tremendous achievement of winning this global schools prize. Our world stands at a crossroads. We need leaders who can rise to the 21st century’s greatest challenges, from climate breakdown to the AI revolution, from war to want, from populism to prejudice. Above all, we need leaders who recognise that at the heart of all these crucial questions lies the enlightenment of a quality education. It is in schools like yours that leaders worldwide can find the answers they need. As the winner of the World’s Best School Prize for Innovation, your trailblazing work will inspire educators and policymakers across the globe. Thank you for everything you do.”

The recognition as the world’s most innovative school reflects the vision of Franklin’s educators, the creativity of its students, and the support of its community, all working together to redefine what school can be.

Congratulations to the entire Franklin community!