The Clinton School of Public Service has been announced by NAFSA: Association of International Educators as one of three schools from across the country to receive a 2025 Senator Simon Spotlight Award for Campus Internationalization.
Named after the late U.S. Senator Paul Simon of Illinois, the award celebrates outstanding innovation and accomplishment in campus internationalization, defined by NAFSA as a conscious effort to integrate and infuse international, intercultural and global dimensions into the ethos and outcomes of students’ education.
The Clinton School was recognized for its International Public Service Project (IPSP), a core component of its curriculum and one of three major field service projects completed by each student in the Master of Public Service degree program.
Led by the Office of Field Service and Director of International Programs Tiffany Jacob, the IPSP is an individual, 8-to-10-week experience in the summer term. Each summer, students tap into the Clinton School’s extensive network of overseas partnerships – students have served in nearly 100 countries on six continents – as well as stateside with organizations that have a global mission.
“We are truly honored to receive the Paul Simon Spotlight Award for Campus Internationalization for our International Public Service Project (IPSP),” Jacob said. “This recognition highlights the Clinton School’s long-standing commitment to international education and experiential learning. The IPSP experience serves as a transformation point for countless students as they learn the importance of community-driven projects, global connectivity, and cultural humility. We have found the IPSP experience to be critical in best preparing our students to be responsible leaders in global public service. We share this award and recognition with our dedicated network of international partners and are grateful to have our impact and commitment to international education amplified in this way.”
The IPSP provides students with the opportunity to apply what they’ve learned in the classroom by testing their newly developed skills in a setting that stretches the boundaries of their existing cultural experiences, fostering academic, professional, and personal growth. Students execute a range of deliverables for their host organizations, including needs assessments, best practice research, process and impact evaluation, program planning, development and evaluation, communication strategy, community and stakeholders’ engagement, and curriculum development, among others.
All students choose an international project that builds on the knowledge and skills they gained in their first two semesters at the Clinton School and their prior academic and public service experiences.
“For more than two decades, the Simon Award has stood as a hallmark of excellence in campus internationalization, and this year’s recipients continue that proud tradition,” said Fanta Aw, NAFSA Executive Director and CEO. “The inclusion of minority-serving institutions and public land-grant universities among the honorees underscores that global education can thrive in a variety of institutional settings. Notably, five repeat winners reaffirm that campus internationalization is not a one-time achievement, but a continuous, evolving commitment guided by core principles. We commend this year’s recipients for their unwavering dedication to building a more globally connected future.”
The 2025 Simon Spotlight Award recipients are:
- Clinton School of Public Service, University of Arkansas
- Program: International Public Service Project (IPSP)
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Program: IGlobal Program
- Saint Louis University
- Program: Partnership for a Higher Purpose
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