DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) " A school teacher from the U.K. won a highly-competitive $1 million teaching prize on Sunday for her work with inner city children in London, helping students feel welcome and safe in a borough with one of the highest murder rates in the country and where English is frequently spoken as a second language at home.
Andria Zafirakou beat out some 30,000 applicants from around the world to win the Global Teacher Prize, which honors one exceptional teacher a year who's made a significant contribution to the profession.
The Alperton Community School teacher was awarded for her work in the London borough of Brent, one of the most ethnically diverse places in the country. Her students come from some of the poorest families in Britain with parents who don't necessarily speak English.
She was awarded the annual Global Teacher Prize during a star-studded ceremony in Dubai on Sunday hosted by Trevor Noah of the "Daily Show". Other celebrities present included Hollywood star Charlize Theron and Indian actress Priyanka Chopra.
The award is presented by the Varkey Foundation. Its founder, Sunny Varkey, established the for-profit GEMS Education company, which has more than 250 schools around the world.
Last year, Canadian teacher Maggie MacDonnell won the prize for her work with Inuit indigenous students in a remote and isolated Arctic village.