EHS teacher selected for prestigious Fulbright Fellowship

Edina High School teacher Lindsey Smaka has been selected as a recipient of the Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms program. Smaka, a science teacher, is one of 76 U.S. citizens who will travel abroad through the Fulbright Fellowship, a program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State.

The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the government and is designed to build relations between the people of the United States and the people of other countries that are needed to solve global challenges. “I am so grateful for the opportunity and to be recognized. It is an amazing honor to represent the United States,” said Smaka.

Fulbrighters address critical global challenges in all areas, while building relationships, knowledge, and leadership in support of the long-term interests of the United States and the world. Smaka will teach a 10-week online global course this fall, and attend a Global Education Symposium in Washington D.C. early next year. She will then visit one country for 2-3 weeks. “I don’t know where I am going yet – this will be assigned at a later date…the prospect of visiting a new country, learning their culture collaborating  with international teachers and do a little bit of teaching is beyond exciting,” Smaka said.

Smaka holds bachelor’s degrees in chemistry and German studies, and a master’s in education, from the University of Minnesota. Recipients of Fulbright Fellowships are selected on the basis of academic and professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential. Smaka has been teaching for eight years and will begin her fifth year of teaching in Edina Public Schools this fall. “I hope to implement what I learn about education and a new culture in my own classroom,” Smaka said.