Three Education Innovators Honored with the 2026 Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education

Media contact:
Kat Stein, Executive Director of Communications, Penn GSE
215-898-9642, katstein@upenn.edu

PHILADELPHIA (Sept. 17, 2026) — At a time when schools and communities are confronting profound educational challenges, three visionary leaders are demonstrating what meaningful change can look like. Through innovative approaches that expand access, open new pathways to learning, and create opportunities for learners around the world, Darin Brawley, Shai Reshef, and Michael Webber are elevating educational experiences, while helping shape a more enriched and accessible.

In recognition of their extraordinary impact, the McGraw Center for Education Leadership at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education (Penn GSE) has named them the 2026 recipients of the Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education, one of the field's most prestigious honors.

For more than four decades, the McGraw Prize has honored and celebrated leaders whose vision and perseverance have helped education meet society's most pressing challenges. Established to recognize the often-unsung changemakers driving progress in learning, the Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education honors individuals whose work has expanded opportunity, transformed lives, and inspired lasting change across communities and generations.

Prizes are awarded in three categories: pre-K–12 learning, higher education, and lifelong learning. This year’s winners will each receive an award of $50,000 and a kinetic sculpture by artist Gary Traczyk at a ceremony on November 10, 2026, in New York City.

“My father believed that education's greatest advances often come from people who challenge conventional thinking and persist when change seems difficult,” said Harold McGraw III, former Chairman and CEO of The McGraw-Hill Companies. “The McGraw Prize was created to ensure that these leaders receive the recognition they deserve and that their work serves as an inspiration to others. This year's recipients exemplify that spirit through their remarkable commitment to improving the lives and prospects of learners around the world.”

“Education does not change through good intentions alone. It changes when leaders have the courage to rethink old assumptions and the determination to make new possibilities real,” said John Silvanus Wilson, Jr., Executive Director of the McGraw Center for Educational Leadership and a Senior Fellow at Penn GSE. “This year's honorees have done exactly that. Their work offers powerful examples of how innovation can address some of education's most persistent challenges.”

The 2026 Winners

Pre-K–12 Education Prize: Darin Brawley, superintendent of California’s Compton Unified School District, has led one of the nation’s most notable examples of sustained district improvement. Since becoming superintendent in 2012, the former classroom teacher has overseen a dramatic rise in student outcomes, with graduation rates increasing from 58 percent to 94 percent and college acceptance rates surpassing 95 percent in a high-poverty district serving predominantly Black and Latino students. Guided by a commitment to student success, Brawley has strengthened instruction, expanded college and career pathways, and forged innovative industry and community partnerships that connect students with opportunities beyond the classroom. Under his leadership, Compton Unified has continued to advance academically and serve as a national model for educational transformation.

Higher Education Prize: Shai Reshef founded the University of the People on a simple but ambitious premise: higher education should be accessible to anyone qualified to pursue it. As founder and president of the first nonprofit, tuition-free, accredited online university, he created a model designed to expand opportunity for students historically excluded from higher education. Today, the university serves more than 250,000 students in over 220 countries and territories, including refugees, displaced learners, and Afghan women whose educational opportunities have been restricted. Under Reshef’s leadership, University of the People has become the largest university in the United States, demonstrating how technology, volunteer expertise, and innovative design can broaden access to learning on a global scale and reshape who higher education serves.

Lifelong Learning Prize: Michael Webber is the Sid Richardson Chair in Public Affairs and Cockrell Family Chair in Engineering #16 at the University of Texas at Austin. A nationally recognized professor of mechanical engineering and public policy, Webber helps policymakers, industry leaders, and the public understand complex energy and environmental issues. Through award-winning books, television programs viewed in more than 110 countries, continuing education courses that have reached more than 45,000 learners, and K-12 educational resources distributed through platforms such as PBS LearningMedia and Minecraft, he has expanded public understanding of the systems that power modern life. Webber also brings industry and entrepreneurial experience as co-founder of DISCO Learning Media and former Chief Science and Technology Officer at global energy company ENGIE.

The Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Family Foundation selected Penn GSE as the home for the McGraw Prize in 2020. Penn GSE is recognized internationally for its cutting-edge initiatives, distinguished faculty and as a training ground for top educators and leaders. Through a public nomination process, McGraw Prize awardees were submitted for consideration by their peers, with winners then selected during three rounds of judging, including a final round by an independent panel of esteemed leaders in the field. Past winners have included teachers, professors, superintendents, university presidents, non-profit leaders, entrepreneurs, and public officials. Many continue to play major roles across the education landscape.

To learn more, browse this site, sign up for our mailing list and follow us on LinkedIn.

ABOUT THE HAROLD W. MCGRAW, JR. FAMILY FOUNDATION
The Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Family Foundation, established by Harold W. McGraw, Jr., is a not-for-profit private foundation whose primary mission is focused on education, youth services, community health and medical research. Harold W. McGraw, Jr. was the Chairman and CEO of McGraw-Hill and dedicated his life to education and literacy.

ABOUT PENN GSE
Penn GSE is one of the nation’s leading and top-ranked research education schools. The school is notably entrepreneurial, launching innovative degree programs for practicing professionals and unique partnerships with local educators. It is also home to the Milken–Penn GSE Education Business Plan Competition and centers such as Catalyst @ Penn GSE, a hub for global education innovation.