USDLA International Distance Learning Awards
2026 International Distance Learning Awards
The USDLA Awards Committee announces the six award categories for the 2026 USDLA annual awards. These award categories have been designed to provide an opportunity for a wide range of activities and individuals to participate in this years’ nominations. Each award category is listed below with a brief description of the award and a link to the criterion rubric.
The USDLA 2026 Awards will be presented to the award winners at the 2026 National Conference in Cleveland OH in June 2026. Conference date and time to be announced.
NOTE – please do not submit a nomination for the same project/person that won an award in the previous three years. Nominations that are the same as previous winners will be rejected.
Award Categories
There are 6 categories for 2026
1- Dr. Janet McMahill Rising Star Award
Award Description: The Rising Star Award is presented to an individual demonstrating exceptional promise in the field of distance education. “Distance Education” includes online, hybrid, asynchronous/synchronous modalities, and related digital learning environments.
No more than 5 years of post-qualification experience relevant to distance education. Part-time or consultancy work counts toward experience if the work is in the field. Click for Award Criteria
2- USDLA Distance Learning Compass Award
Award Description: This prestigious award recognizes outstanding achievement in designing and delivering innovative support services that elevate the online student experience while enhancing student success in persistence and graduation from online programs. It honors institutions, programs, or individuals who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to fostering holistic student well-being, engagement, and success in virtual learning environments.
Awards will be given in the following five areas:
Mental Health & Wellness Creative approaches to online counseling, stress management tools, and digital wellness initiatives that promote emotional resilience and psychological safety for students taking classes online. Example: AI-powered chat counseling, mindfulness apps, virtual therapy groups. Click for Award Criteria
Community-Building & Belonging Programs that cultivate meaningful peer connections through virtual clubs, interest-based groups, and inclusive social platforms across an online program or institutionally based or within a class for higher education or within an online school, grade level, or class for preschool through 12th grade schools. Example: Online cultural festivals, student-led forums, gamified networking. Click for Award Criteria
Mentorship & Personal Growth Scalable mentorship models that empower students through guidance, skill-building, and career exploration. Example: Peer-to-peer matching platforms, global mentor databases. Click for Award Criteria
Post-Graduation Success Support systems that bridge the gap between education and employment, including job placement services, alumni networks, and career coaching for online. Example: Virtual job fairs, resume labs, employer partnerships. Click for Award Criteria
Student Advocacy & Digital Citizenship Initiatives that amplify student voices, promote digital rights, advocate for healthy screen habits and intentional technology use, foster online spaces where students feel safe, heard, and connected, and encourage responsible online engagement. Example: Student-led digital policy campaigns, online safety education. Click for Award Criteria
3 – USDLA Collaboration and Impact Award
Award Description: This award recognizes programs that foster learning through cross-border or cross-sector collaboration. Honorees promote inclusive, technology-enabled education that connects learners, institutions, and communities across cultures and geographies.
Eligible initiatives may include:
- S.-international partnerships (e.g., virtual exchanges, global classrooms)
- S.-based cross-sector efforts (e.g., K–12 and higher ed, higher ed and corporate training)
- Global coalitions advancing lifelong learning and digital equity
4 – USDLA Excellence in Professional Development Award
Award Description: This award recognizes and celebrates outstanding distance learning programs that open new pathways and empower adult learners and professionals to upskill, reskill, or pursue personal growth through flexible, accessible courses. In a rapidly evolving landscape, this award highlights distance education's vital role in meeting the growing demand for continuous, career-long development.
Awards will be given in the following three areas:
Microcredentialing: Celebrating programs that offer focused, stackable credentials designed to provide learners with targeted skills for professional advancement or personal enrichment. These initiatives enable learners to quickly gain specialized knowledge and demonstrate proficiency in emerging fields, making education agile and relevant. Click for Award Criteria
Continuing Education Programs: Honoring continuing education programs that provide ongoing opportunities for learners seeking to maintain, update, or broaden their knowledge and skills. These courses are tailored for professionals and lifelong learners who wish to stay at the forefront of their fields and adapt to changing industry standards. Click for Award Criteria
Talent Development Programs: Recognizing innovative distance learning initiatives that cultivate workforce talent, promote career progression, and bridge skills gaps. These programs are designed to support organizations and individuals in fostering growth, adaptability, and leadership—empowering learners to thrive in complex, dynamic environments. Click for Award Criteria
5 – USDLA Innovative Leadership Award
Award Description: This award recognizes instructors and talent developers who create a sense of belonging and connection in their virtual classrooms. This award is for those who build strong student-to-student and student-to-instructor relationships through activities like group projects, peer feedback, or virtual social events. Awards will be presented to Higher Ed., Pre K-12, Government, TeleHeath, and Corporate. Click for Award Criteria
6 – USDLA Trendsetter Innovation Award
Award Description: This award recognizes faculty, instructional designers, schools, or organizations that exemplify visionary leadership in the use of digital tools and platforms. Award recipients demonstrate their commitment to advancing the field of online and virtual learning by establishing creative, effective, and forward-thinking approaches that are redefining traditional learning experiences. Their work reflects innovation that forges beyond conventional practices to set new standards of excellence in the era of digital education.
Award Areas
Awards will be given in the following three areas:
1 - Artificial Intelligence (AI): This award recognizes outstanding contributions by faculty, instructional designers, schools, organizations, or individuals in the ethical and innovative application of artificial intelligence to online teaching and learning. Award recipients leverage AI to create engaging, innovative, and personalized experiences that improve learning outcomes by extending the possibilities of digital pedagogy. Emphasis is placed on principled and responsible implementation to ensure that AI is used to enhance and enrich—not replace—the human aspects of education. Click for Award Criteria
2 - Multimodality: This award recognizes faculty, instructional designers, schools, or organizations, and individuals who design and implement learning environments that skillfully integrate multiple modes of instruction, including video, audio, interactive technologies, virtual augmented and/or extended reality (AR, VR, XR), and emerging media. Award recipients demonstrate a capacity to engage diverse learners by creatively and thoughtfully curating modalities that deepen understanding, foster active participation, and expand the reach of online education. Click for Award Criteria
3 - Accessibility and Inclusion: This award recognizes agencies, corporations, institutions, programs, organizations, or schools that demonstrate an unwavering commitment to accessible, equitable, and inclusive digital learning environments for learners with disabilities and/or exceptionalities and learners from underrepresented populations. Recipients set a standard for accessible and adaptive technologies for diverse learners through cultural and equitable learning experiences that include responsive pedagogical practices to ensure all learners—regardless of ability, background, or circumstance—have multiple and responsive opportunities for success. Click for Award Criteria
The USDLA International Distance Learning Awards are created to acknowledge major accomplishments in distance learning and to highlight those distance learning instructors, programs, and professionals who have achieved and demonstrated extraordinary achievements through the use of online, augmented, virtual reality, videoconferencing, and satellite/video delivery technologies globally.
Timelines, Committee and FAQ's
Award Timeline:
- Award submissions are due TBA
- Winners will be notified the week of TBA
- Awards will be presented at the National Conference TBA
USDLA Awards Committee:
- Wendy Pate, Awards Co-Chairwoman, USDLA Board Member
- Harriett Watkins, Awards Co-Chairwoman, USDLA Board Member
- Janine Lim, USDLA Advisory Board
- Jeff Dungan, USDLA Advisory Board
- Allyson Mitchell, USDLA Advisory Board
- Cheryl Oberlin, USDLA Advisory Board
- Debra Lukin, USDLA Advisory Board
- Emily Mulvhill, USDLA Advisory Board
- Rebecca Blankenship, USDLA Advisory Board
- Arifa Garman, USDLA Advisory Board
- Shana Garrett, USDLA BOD
- Farah Bennani, USDLA BOD
- John Copeland, USDLA BOD
- Lisa Clark, USDLA BOD
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is there a space limitation for submissions in terms of number of pages or word count?
NO page limits…just make sure to hit/answer the criteria and provide evidence, etc.
Is there a specific format in which the nominator’s content should be arranged? For example, is it up to the submitter to organize the material in the best way that reflects the judging attributes?
Submit a nomination overview. Write a narrative that summarizes the project, program, person, etc. Include a paragraph for each rubric criteria explaining how this nomination meets that criteria and referencing each evidence document that supports the criteria.
You can upload unlimited evidence files. The file name for each evidence document should represent which criteria the evidence accompanies.
All files must be uploaded into the reviewer site. No email submissions are accepted.
Any evidence not already in an electronic format may be scanned and submitted as a PDF.
How secure will my material be?
All entries and related courses, material and content are kept confidential for judging purposes only.
Can I submit an award on behalf of my client?
Yes, you can submit a nomination on behalf of your client. Please note that for US government entries, you may have to consult your legal team regarding legal gift restrictions.
Is there a limit to the number of submissions an organization can submit?
NO
Can I load screen shots of my website, module?
Yes, you can upload them in the award system as an to demonstrate or showcase certain features you want the judges to view.
Can I mail additional material or copies of my submission(s) to USDLA for consideration?
NO submission(s) will be accepted via mail. All entries and related material must be submitted online via the awards website.
I won an award last year, can I submit a nomination this year?
Yes, as long as you are submitting for a new project or person. Any nomination submitted for a project that won an award within the last 3 years will be rejected..