Laura Koebel receives Fulbright Teacher Award for 2026-27

Posted October 19, 2026

Laura Koebel, an educator at Plymouth High School, has received a Fulbright Teacher Exchange award for the 2026-2027 cycle from the U.S. Department of State.

She is among the approximately 2,500 U.S. citizens who will teach, study, and conduct research abroad for the 2026-2027 academic year through the Fulbright Program. Fulbrighters engage in cutting-edge research and expand their professional networks, often continuing research collaborations started abroad and laying the groundwork for forging future partnerships between institutions. Upon returning to their home institutions, labs, and classrooms, they share their experiences, becoming champions of international collaboration. Many go on to host visiting scholars and inspire colleagues and students to pursue transformative opportunities abroad. Fulbright Teacher Exchanges advance American competitiveness through exchanges and training for K-12 teachers. U.S. Fulbright Teachers learn cutting-edge educational practices in the technology, AI, and critical minerals fields.

The Fulbright Program was established in 1946 as a bold investment in global peace and American prosperity through educational and cultural exchange. The Fulbright Program is marking its 80th anniversary in 2026, which coincides with America's 250th anniversary celebration. This dual milestone provides an unprecedented opportunity to showcase the Fulbright Program's role in America's legacy of leadership, innovation, international collaboration, and American excellence.

Fulbright provides opportunities for exceptional Americans and participants from 160 countries and locations to study, teach, and conduct research abroad. For eight decades, Fulbrighters have been leaders at the forefront of discovery and innovation, conducting cutting edge research, advancing critical industries, and preparing future generations with new skills and perspectives.

More than 2,500 U.S. Fulbrighters – teachers, artists, and professionals from all backgrounds – teach, study, or conduct research overseas through the Fulbright Program annually. Learn more about Fulbright Teacher Exchanges at fulbrightteacherexchanges.org. For more information about the Fulbright Program, visit fulbrightprogram.org.

About Laura Koebel

Laura Koebel is a Spanish and Facilitated Language Studies teacher at Plymouth High School. She holds a bachelor's degree in Spanish and Latin American Studies from UW-Madison and a Master’s Degree in Spanish Translation from UW-Milwaukee.

For more than 25 years, in addition to teaching Spanish, Ms. Koebel has been a passionate leader for global education and service in her school community through her roles as the Global Scholar Program advisor, exchange student teacher liaison, WeACT advisor, study abroad coordinator, and community service coordinator.

Her contributions to international education earned her the prestigious title of Wisconsin Global Educator of the Year for 2019-20.

Believing that cultural understanding is the bridge to peace, Ms. Koebel is dedicated to finding ways to bring the world to her classroom and her students into the world. She helps organize school trips abroad along with innovative virtual exchanges.

Ms. Koebel is grateful to the district for supporting student trips to Costa Rica and Germany for the last 35 years. She and her colleagues see first-hand how lives change through travel and perspective building.

She also values the robust AFS program cultivated in Plymouth for the past 75+ years and appreciates how having so many exchange students at our school is such a unique opportunity for PHS students to learn about the world. She thanked the coordinators and all of the host families who welcome students each year.

Ms. Koebel is honored to have been chosen as a participant in the Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms program and looks forward to collaborating with other educators from around the world to learn global teaching strategies and gain cultural insights to share with her students and community.

She already has begun work on a 10-week Teaching and Leading for Global Education course in preparation for a 2- to 3-week international field experience next year. She will learn the dates and the destination in December, then will travel to Washington, D.C., in February to meet with others going on the trip with her.

Her objective is to gain tools and partnerships to help integrate global perspectives into more classrooms, so that culture is not just a standalone unit. “Global education begins with appreciating the diversity within our own communities and recognizing the connections that unite us across the world. By understanding our interconnectedness, we discover the power we each have to make a positive difference, both locally and globally,” she said.