Stanford prof wins new education prize
A Stanford University researcher is among two inaugural winners of the biggest prize in education circles, receiving nearly $4 million for her research on the ability to learn.
Carol Dweck, a psychology professor, was named as one of two Yidan Prize winners, receiving a $1.9 million cash prize and another $1.9 million for educational initiatives.
“I’m thrilled and honored to be the inaugural recipient of this amazing prize,” Dweck said in a statement. “It will allow us to take our work forward and continue to innovate — to develop even more effective interventions for students and more effective materials for teachers to use in classrooms.”
Vicky Colbert, founder and director of Fundacion Escuela Nueva, an educational organization in Colombia, was the other winner.
Dweck is known for her research on what she calls growth mind-set, the belief that intellectual skill is not and should not be treated as a fixed attribute, but something that can be developed. She has focused on helping at-risk children succeed at school, and says they should be praised for their hard work, not their intelligence.
The Yidan Prize was founded by Charles Chen Yidan, a Chinese tech entrepreneur and philanthropist.
“To witness the level of innovation and dedication shown by the inaugural laureates in their work and the breadth and depth of the impact they have made is humbling,” Yidan said in a statement. “The Yidan Prize was founded to shine a light on education that is transformative, sustainable and addresses the world’s needs as we look to the future.”
“(The Yidan Prize) will allow us to take our work forward and continue to innovate.” Carol Dweck, Stanford psycholog y professor