The Special Foundation has reached another significant milestone!

Our flagship Special Summer School has been shortlisted for the Access, Diversity & Inclusion Award at the prestigious 2026 QS Reimagine Education Awards, progressing to the second round of judging from a competitive field of over 2,200 projects worldwide.

Organised by QS Quacquarelli Symonds, the Reimagine Education Awards celebrate innovative approaches to teaching and learning that are transforming education across the world. The Access, Diversity & Inclusion category specifically recognises initiatives that break down systemic barriers to education and create inclusive learning environments where individuals, regardless of their circumstances, can thrive.

For us, this recognition represents something much bigger than an award. It is an affirmation of a belief that has guided our work from the beginning: every child deserves access to quality education and the opportunity to dream.

Reimagining What Access to Education Looks Like

For millions of children across underserved communities, the opportunity to learn, explore their interests, and develop essential skills remains limited by circumstances beyond their control.

The Special Summer School was established to help bridge this gap.

Through a free, intensive learning programme, we create opportunities for both in-school and out-of-school children to access foundational education, practical skills training, mentorship, and leadership development.

Our approach goes beyond traditional classroom learning. From literacy and numeracy to STEAM, digital skills, entrepreneurship, and vocational training, the programme introduces children to opportunities they might otherwise never encounter.

Under the theme Future-Ready Learning, our 2026 Special Summer School expanded this vision across 19 centres in 10 Nigerian states and the Federal Capital Territory, recording an estimated impact of 41,135 lives.

Behind these numbers are children discovering new abilities, exploring technology, building confidence, and beginning to see possibilities for their futures beyond the limitations of their immediate circumstances.

A Recognition of Collective Impact

Being shortlisted among thousands of education innovations worldwide is an important moment for The Special Foundation, but it is also a recognition of the collective effort behind the programme.

From our financial and implementation partners to our volunteers, facilitators, coordinators, and community stakeholders, the Special Summer School continues to demonstrate what becomes possible when people come together around a shared commitment to educational equity.

As the awards progress to the next stage, this milestone strengthens our resolve to keep expanding access to meaningful learning opportunities for children who need them most.

The 2026 QS Reimagine Education Awards & Conference will take place in London from 6–8 December 2026, bringing together education innovators and leaders from around the world.

For The Special Foundation, the recognition is an opportunity to contribute to a global conversation about building more inclusive and equitable education systems, while bringing greater attention to the realities and possibilities of education in underserved African communities.

The future of education must be one in which no child's potential is limited by their circumstances.

Every child is your child, and every child has a right to dream.

| Written by Mifa Adejumo | Communications Lead, The Special Foundation