Senator J. William Fulbright believed that international educational exchange was not a cure-all but something more lasting: “an avenue of hope.” Our chapters keep that avenue open every day. Long after a grant ends, the Fulbright experience lives on around a Thanksgiving table in Minnesota, in a symposium hall in Michigan, in elementary school classrooms across Pennsylvania and New Jersey, in a congressional office in Colorado, on campuses across Mississippi, and beyond.
This year we are proud to honor six chapters with the Fulbright Association’s 2026 Chapter Awards, presented at our Annual Conference. Their stories look very different from one another. One is a long-established community, two are neighbors who decided to build something together, one brought the world into local schools, one spoke up when the Program needed it most, and one rebuilt itself from the ground up. What they share is a group of volunteers who give their time, their energy and sometimes even their homes so that every Fulbrighter has a place to belong.
Overall Excellence Award: Minnesota Chapter
It is fitting that the words “an avenue of hope” come to us from Minnesota. As Dr. Gwyneth Bravo, the chapter’s past president, put it:
"In keeping with Senator J. William Fulbright's conviction that international educational exchange is not merely 'a panacea', but rather 'an avenue of hope', the Board of Directors of the Minnesota Chapter of the Fulbright Association is committed to building a strong and vibrant Fulbright community across Minnesota."
This year, they did exactly that.
The season began with a Thanksgiving tradition turned into a day of giving. Fulbrighters rolled up their sleeves and packed tens of thousands of meals for children and families around the world, then sat down together at a shared table to celebrate the many cultures in their community. From there, each event built on the last. The annual Research Showcase gave grantees and alumni a stage to share work that matters at home and abroad. Members spent an evening in conversation with author and cellist Janet Horvath and toured the State Capitol to see civic life in Minnesota up close. Whether someone had been part of the Fulbright family for decades or had arrived only weeks before, there was a place for them.
None of this happens without people. Dr. Bravo built a culture of quality programming and made sure every member felt they belonged and that their contributions mattered. Mary Stanton brought more than a decade of experience, including service on the Fulbright Association Board of Directors, and helped members speak up for international exchange in a thoughtful, nonpartisan way. And Dr. Cheri Shakiban quite literally opened her home to the chapter, hosting gatherings, cooking for members and even giving a bed to those who traveled from distant corners of the state, all while carefully keeping the chapter’s books. With a growing group of new board members alongside them, Minnesota is thriving today and well prepared for tomorrow.
Program of the Year: West and Mid-Michigan and Michigan/Northwest Ohio Chapters
Some of the best ideas start with neighbors deciding to work together. The West and Mid-Michigan Chapter and the Michigan/Northwest Ohio Chapter share this year’s Program of the Year Award for the Michigan Fulbright Symposium.
Hosted at Michigan State University, the symposium brought the whole Fulbright experience under one roof. Visiting students and scholars, Foreign Language Teaching Assistants, U.S. Scholars and U.S. Students from more than 40 countries shared their research and their stories in 30 presentations. Faculty, students and international education professionals from more than a dozen Michigan institutions came to learn, connect and dream up new collaborations. Prospective applicants left with practical advice and a clearer picture of where a Fulbright might take them.
The chapters told us what the symposium has meant to them, and where it is headed next:
"Our two Michigan Fulbright Association Chapters have truly enjoyed collaborating with each other to produce two annual Michigan Fulbright Symposiums thus far. These events would not have been possible without the exceptional organizational support of our host, Joy Campbell, at Michigan State University, to whom we are very grateful. The enthusiastic turnouts from our state's Fulbright alumni, visiting Fulbrighters, and other supporters made both events a success! We plan to continue this Symposium as an annual event. We are already planning our third symposium, which will be held on March 20, 2027, and for the first time it will be hosted at Western Michigan University, in Kalamazoo. We invite Michigan and neighboring Fulbrighters to join us then! We're also happy to talk with any chapter that may be interested in hosting an engagement event similar to our symposium."
If your chapter has been thinking about teaming up with a neighbor, consider this your sign.
Excellence in Community Impact: Philadelphia/Delaware Valley Chapter
Imagine being a student who has never met anyone from Indonesia, and then one morning a Fulbrighter from Indonesia walks into your classroom. That is the simple, powerful idea behind Fulbright in the Classroom, the Philadelphia/Delaware Valley Chapter’s program and the reason for its Excellence in Community Impact Award.
This year the chapter brought Fulbrighters from Indonesia, Japan and the United States into elementary, middle school and university classrooms across Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Their goal is to move global education beyond flags, food and language, and to help students see the people behind every country, with hopes and dreams much like their own. It is working. One teacher shared that many students and staff now dream of visiting Indonesia someday, all because of a single classroom visit.
Through its partnership with Legacy of Hope, the chapter has built a lasting bridge between the Fulbright community and local schools. Just as generously, it has shared its model with fellow chapters and at the U.S. Department of State’s Global Teaching Dialogue, so that more Fulbrighters can bring the world to the students in their own backyards.
Excellence in Advocacy: Colorado Chapter
This year the Fulbright Program faced its most serious legislative challenge: a proposal to eliminate its funding entirely. It came from Colorado’s own congressional delegation, and Colorado Fulbrighters answered the call.
Because they were constituents, their voices carried special weight, and they used them quickly and thoughtfully. Members renewed conversations with the congressional offices involved, reached out to fellow alumni across the affected district and shared the Fulbright story with their neighbors in the pages of the Colorado Sun. When the House voted, the proposal was defeated by a wide bipartisan margin. Our Advocacy Committee called Colorado’s response “exactly the kind of local advocacy” the network has worked to build.
What stands out most is that Colorado was ready before the moment came. Over the past year, the chapter had quietly grown a corps of trained advocates in every congressional district in the state and built steady relationships with offices across the delegation. Their story is a reminder for all of us that respectful, nonpartisan advocacy works best when it is rooted in community and in place before it is needed, and that it helps sustain a program that strengthens U.S. competitiveness and global standing.
Emerging Excellence Award: Mississippi Chapter
After a period of transition, the Mississippi Chapter renewed itself this year and grew from a single campus into a statewide community. In the chapter’s own words:
"The Mississippi Chapter of the Fulbright Association is actively working to build mutual understanding, and that starts at home. The past year has been dedicated to ensuring that we are championing our Mississippi Fulbright alumni and building a broader Fulbright community that is informed, engaged, and committed to moving forward together."
Mississippi’s leaders rebuilt with energy and purpose. They held elections, filled leadership roles and recruited a board that reflects the whole state, with members from universities across Mississippi and from K–12 education. They also reached out to campuses the chapter had never engaged before, so that more Mississippians can see themselves in the Fulbright story.
That welcoming spirit shows in everything they do. At Mississippi State’s International Fiesta, alumni from several universities shared Mississippi’s Fulbright connections with hundreds of students, families and community members. At Mississippi Valley State University, faculty explored the Fulbright Scholar and Specialist programs, and the chapter plans to bring these sessions back every semester. Fulbright Coffee and Conversations gathered Fulbrighters at every stage of the journey and was recorded so communities across the state can watch it. We cannot wait to see where they go next.
To Every Chapter: Thank You!
Congratulations to this year’s recipients. And to the volunteer leaders in every one of our chapters, whether you hosted a single gathering this year or dozens: thank you. Every meal shared, every classroom visit, every call to a congressional office and every new member welcomed keeps the avenue of hope open a little wider.
We hope these stories spark ideas for your own loca community. If you would like to learn more about any of these programs, or you are interested in teaming up with a neighboring chapter, reach out to the national office. We would love to help make the connection.