Nominations Close in Two Weeks for PBLWorks’ 2026 PBL Champions and John Larmer Lifelong Learning Awards

New this year, PBLWorks will recognize an International PBL Champion to elevate the transformative Project Based Learning work being done outside of the United States

San Rafael, CA (February 18, 2026) – PBLWorks, a national provider of professional development for high-quality Project Based Learning, is accepting nominations through March 7 for its 2026 PBL Champions and John Larmer “JL” Lifelong Learning Awards.

The awards recognize individuals, schools, and districts for their commitment to advancing Project Based Learning. This year, PBLWorks has added a category for “International Champion” to recognize and showcase the PBL work being done by educators and teams around the world. All honorees will be announced and celebrated during PBLWorks’ PBL World conference, which takes place June 15-18, 2026 at American Canyon High School, part of the Napa Valley Unified School District in California.

“Our honorees are passionate advocates of Project Based Learning and the impact it has in their districts, schools, and classrooms. This work is happening both in the U.S. and around the world so we are expanding our program to recognize an International Champion,” said Bob Lenz, CEO of PBLWorks. “We created these awards programs to recognize and elevate the transformative work educators and teams are leading every day — and to support them as they continue advancing this work both in the U.S. and internationally. If you know a teacher or team making this kind of difference, we invite you to nominate them.”

About the Awards

The PBL Champions Awards program, now in its ninth year, recognizes the individuals and teams who are impacting and expanding the work of Project Based Learning in education. Recipients demonstrate a commitment to PBL; have done quality, lasting work; and have shown evidence of impact on students. The four categories being recognized are:

●       Individual Champion

●       International Champion (new)

●       School Champion

●       District Champion

Recipients receive complimentary registration for PBL World. To nominate, visit: https://www.pblworks.org/pbl-world-pbl-champions-awards.

The John Larmer “JL” Lifelong Learning Awards program, now in its fifth year, honors up to three classroom teachers in the U.S. who are impacting and expanding the work of Project Based Learning (PBL) for all students.

The awards program acknowledges the significant contributions John Larmer “JL” has made to PBLWorks and the field of education, advancing high quality PBL for all students for more than three decades. Larmer co-developed the model for Gold Standard PBL, which is the foundation of PBLWorks’ products and services, and is the author of “Setting the Standard for Project Based Learning” and many other books and blogs focused on high quality PBL.

The recipients receive complimentary registration for PBL World. To nominate, visit https://www.pblworks.org/pbl-world-jl-lifelong-learning-award.

About PBLWorks

The Buck Institute for Education/PBLWorks believes that all students, especially Black and Brown students, should have access to high-quality Project Based Learning to deepen their learning and achieve success in college, career, and life. Its focus is on building the capacity of teachers to design and facilitate high-quality Project Based Learning, and on supporting school and system leaders in creating the conditions for these teachers to succeed with all students.

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