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EHS teacher named AFS-USA Global Educator of the Year

Aerial view of Kuhlman stadium with water tower in foreground.
EHS teacher named AFS-USA Global Educator of the Year

Lindsey Smaka, science teacher at Edina High School, has been named the 2023 AFS-USA Global Educator of the Year. The AFS-USA Global Educator Award recognizes educators who have demonstrated excellence in integrating cultural diversity, global competence, and internationalized concepts into their instruction with the aim of cultivating global citizens.

In addition to teaching chemistry, Smaka coordinates the Global Scholar Program, a three-year program in which students develop global competency skills that enhance college, career and civic readiness post-graduation. She has taken students on several travel-based learning opportunities, including South Africa, Fiji, Ecuador, and most recently, Morocco. She was selected for the Fulbright Teachers for Global Classroom program in 2019, an educational cultural exchange operated by the U.S. Department of State.

Smaka will be honored at the Spring 2023 Educational and Cultural Affairs Conference in Alexandria, VA in March.