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Each year, DA Global celebrates institutions, organizations, and individuals who have developed innovative practices and strategies that leverage global education to advance student success. Awardees will be announced at the Global Impact Conference, DA Global’s annual conference.
The deadline to submit a nomination is Thursday, April 23, 2026. Please review the nomination process requirements before beginning your submission.
The IMPACT Awards by DA Global recognize institutions, organizations, professionals, and students who are advancing global education as a driver of student success, career readiness, and institutional impact. Selected by a review committee of experienced professionals representing a range of perspectives across the field, the IMPACT Awards highlight exemplary practices that align global engagement with measurable outcomes.
The IMPACT Awards honor excellence across institutional and organizational initiatives, individual professional leadership, and student contributions to global engagement initiatives. Award recipients demonstrate how intentional global education strategies can student success, support professional growth, and advance long term organizational effectiveness. Awards are open to eligible institutions, organizations, professionals, and students across the globe.
Recipients of the IMPACT Awards are recognized annually during the Global Impact Conference, DA Global’s flagship convening for leaders advancing global education and student success. Award recipients are expected to have at least one institutional or organizational representative registered to attend the conference. Like the Global Impact Conference, the awards seek to recognize individuals who embody the DA Global IMPACT framework.
Advance innovative solutions to achieve inclusive access to global education’s benefits.
Provide exceptional guidance and advocacy for international and domestic students.
Cultivate resilience, leadership, and lifelong learning.
Power academic and career success through access to global education opportunities.
Strengthen home campus and international networks for student and institutional success.
Develop and empower professionals to drive meaningful impact in a dynamic international education sector.
These categories recognize organizations and institutions who have developed innovative practices and strategies that leverage access to global education to advance student success, workforce readiness, and organizational impact.
The awards recognize innovation and excellence in the following categories:
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This award recognizes institutions that design and implement innovative, inclusive, and student-centered outbound mobility programs. These institutions integrate global opportunities into the academic journey and personal development of students, ensuring meaningful engagement with the world. Through intentional program design, comprehensive and inclusive advising, and strategic partnerships, they ensure all students, particularly those historically underserved, have access to global mobility programs and can translate such experiences into long-term academic and career success.
Examples may include but aren’t limited to scalable mobility models, cross-campus collaboration to embed global learning, mentorship programs, or initiatives that expand access and prepare students for diverse global environments.
This award honors institutions that provide impactful, accessible global learning opportunities for students who remain on campus or within their local communities. Through virtual exchanges, curricular innovation, and community-based programs, these institutions foster cross-cultural engagement and global competency development for all students—regardless of travel ability.
Examples may include local partnerships, interdisciplinary global learning initiatives, or co-curricular experiences that promote belonging and broaden students’ worldviews.
This award recognizes international education units (offices) and organizations in the international education sector that demonstrate exceptional commitment to increasing access to the field and building inclusive workplaces. These employers intentionally embed diverse perspectives into their team structures, policies, and culture—creating environments where employees across roles and backgrounds feel valued, supported, and empowered to grow. Through thoughtful recruitment, professional development, and retention strategies, these organizations set a standard for inclusive talent practices that reflect the core values of international education.
Examples may include intentional hiring pipelines, mentorship initiatives, ongoing learning opportunities, or organizational policies that promote staff well-being and long-term professional growth in the field.
The Champion Award recognizes an institution/organization that exemplifies the vision and ideals of DA Global to support access for all students to the benefits of global education. The institution/organization who receives this award will be recognized as a leader within the field of international education and cultural exchange in championing student success, workforce readiness, and organizational impact through global education on a broad scale.
These categories recognize the outstanding advancements and achievements of individual administrators, faculty or staff in the U.S. and abroad who have made significant contributions to advancing student and professional success through global education.
In recognition of Diversity Abroad’s legacy, this award honors an individual professional whose leadership has advanced global inclusive excellence in international education and exchange. The Diversity Abroad Legacy Award recognizes sustained, meaningful contributions that expand access, strengthen belonging, and improve student success in global learning, particularly for students historically underrepresented in global education.
This award celebrates individuals whose work has shaped policies, practices, programs, or partnerships that reduce barriers to participation and elevate inclusive approaches across the field.
Examples may include:
Applicants may be nominated by a colleague or may self-nominate.
Recipients of the IMPACT Awards are encouraged to register at least one institutional/organizational representative for the Global Impact Conference.
The student categories highlight the passion and commitment of students at the undergraduate and graduate level. Awardees are particularly known on their campuses for embodying the mission and vision of DA Global by advocating for global education in their communities, engaging in research contributing to our understanding of global education’s impact on student success, and/or innovative social impact programming.
The award is open to one undergraduate student at DA Global Member institution who has participated in a global education experience.
Awardees have made significant contributions to increasing awareness of and access to global opportunities for all students, but particularly those underrepresented in international education, at their home institution through academic, research, community and/or campus engagement activities.
Undergraduate nominees are encouraged to attend the Global Student Leadership Summit (GSLS).
The award is open to one graduate student at DA Global Member institution who has participated in a global education experience.
Graduate nominees are encouraged to register for the Global Impact Conference by the end of the Early Bird Registration period.
Applicants may be nominated by a supervisor, other campus-based contact, or provider program representative.
Student recipients of the IMPACT Award by DA Global are encouraged to register for the Global Student Leadership Summit or the Global Impact Conference.
All nominations for the IMPACT Awards follow a shared submission process, with a few category specific requirements outlined below. We encourage nominators to review all requirements carefully before beginning a submission. Please note that self-nominations are accepted as well.
Completion of the online nomination form
A written nomination statement of approximately 500-600 words, aligned with the selected award category
Statements should clearly describe the nominee’s impact on global education and student success
Where applicable, submissions are encouraged to include outcomes, examples, data, or testimonials that demonstrate impact
In addition to the requirements above, nominations must include:
A nomination statement focused on the collective efforts of the institution or organization related to the selected award category
A letter of support from the institution or organization’s Chief Academic Officer, Provost, President, or Chancellor
Eligibility requirement: Nominees must be current DA Global Members
In addition to the general requirements, nominations must include:
A nomination statement highlighting the individual’s professional leadership, contributions, and impact
A current resume or curriculum vitae
Optional supporting materials or letters of reference
Eligibility requirement: Nominees must be affiliated with a DA Global Member institution or organization
A nomination statement focused on the student’s leadership, advocacy, research, or programmatic contributions
Before starting a nomination, we recommend that you ensure that:
Incomplete submissions or submissions that do not meet eligibility requirements may not be reviewed.