School of Education | SOE Global | Smiley Award

Smiley Award

SOE Global Education Ambassador

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The Smiley Award supports global educational opportunities for current undergraduate and graduate education majors at UNC Greensboro. Undergraduate and graduate education majors who serve as outstanding Global Education Ambassadors through international or local engagement may apply for this award.

Preference will be given to students who demonstrate leadership, innovation, and impact in both international and local settings based on both previous and proposed engagement activities. Two Global Education Ambassador recipients, one undergraduate student recipient and one graduate student recipient, will be selected per year receiving a $500 award each.

    • Complete an application form including:
      • Nominee information: name, email, ID number, major/program
      • Faculty/Advisor/Mentor information: name, email, department/unit
      • A short essay describing international experiences and global impact (500 word limit)
    • Submit the nomination by March 1, 2026
    • Awardees will be announced at the end of the spring semester
    • Awardees will be invited to share a short video describing their experiences and the videos will be posted on the SOE Global website

    Current undergraduate and graduate education majors with good academic standing (3.0 GPA) who are:

    • Scheduled to participate or have participated in a Study Abroad program, virtual international experiences, international conferences, or other international activities related to education
    • Committed to sharing international/global experiences with the university and local communities
    • Recommended by at least one faculty/advisor/mentor

    Self-nominations will be accepted.

    SOE Global Education Ambassadors

    smiley award logo

    October 27, 2025

    Smiley Award Nomination Window Now Open

    School of Education students, as well as any UNC Greensboro st…

    Head shots of 2025 Smiley Award recipients Lelia Jane Lovell (left), Haeju Lee (center), and Parishi Gandhi (right)

    March 31, 2025

    Trio of Students Recognized with UNCG SOE’s Smiley Award

    The Smiley Award, which supports global educational opportunit…

    Mary Beth McCaskill (left) and Youn Jung Ho (right), recipients of the 2024 Smiley Award

    April 30, 2024

    McCaskill, Ho Selected as 2024 Smiley Award Recipients

    The Smiley Award, which supports global educational opportunit…

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