The Association of Dental Education in Europe (ADEE), the European Dental Students’ Association (EDSA), and Henry Schein are pleased to continue the cooperation to help health happen by granting the 2026 Oral Health Professional Educators’ Awards. The partnership began in 2023 with an aim to promote and recognise the efforts of dental schools and organisations in advancing environmental sustainability. The awards evolved in 2025 to also focus on social excellence, by celebrating efforts to drive change through the improvement of equitable healthcare outcomes and access to care.
This year’s Oral Health Professional Educators’ Awards will continue to highlight progress in these two categories that aim to embed an ethos of environmental sustainability and social responsibility within the oral health education lifecycle. Through participation in this programme, best practice examples will be showcased and recognised.
Prof Ivan Alajbeg, ADEE President, said: “We are again delighted to be able to deliver the Oral Health Professional Educators’ Awards for 2026, in partnership with Henry Schein and the European Dental Students’ Association. The two streams within these awards, focusing on environmental sustainability and social excellence, are a valuable opportunity for ADEE member institutions to showcase their outstanding efforts in these areas. ADEE encourages all member institutions to consider submitting an application.”
These are the submission parameters:
- For environmental sustainability, the Oral Health Professional Educators’ Awards recognise ADEE member institutions that have demonstrated excellence in integrating sustainability across educational, clinical, and operational practices. This award celebrates institutions that actively contribute to environmental stewardship, with initiatives that encompass sustainable campus management, eco-conscious procurement, and/or the integration of sustainability principles into their educational programmes. Institutions are encouraged to showcase comprehensive efforts that reduce environmental impact such as energy conservation, waste reduction, and the adoption of greener materials and resources. Additionally, this award highlights the importance of embedding sustainability into the curriculum, preparing future oral health professionals to practice in ways that benefit the environment.
- For social excellence, the Oral Health Professional Educators’ Awards recognise ADEE member institutions that have demonstrated exemplary dedication to integrating social responsibility across the educational, clinical, and operational practices. These awards celebrate institutions that actively contribute to societal well-being through initiatives that enhance access to care, promote inclusion, and/or foster a culture of equity and support for underserved populations. Institutions are encouraged to showcase efforts that positively impact local communities, such as programmes that provide equitable access to dental care and outreach to communities in need. Additionally, this award emphasises the importance of preparing future oral health professionals to practice in ways that benefit the communities they serve.
Institutions can apply for either one of these awards or both angles. By participating, they can share how their innovative strategies have created a positive, lasting impact on the campus, clinical settings, and/or the broader public. This may include either a clinical or departmental approach, increased access to care programmes, or innovation resulting in improved health care outcomes.
EDSA Treasurer, Angeliki Anna Gkinosati, stated: “We are very pleased to support the continuation of the Oral Health Professional Educators’ Awards. As future oral health professionals, we believe that education should not only prepare us to provide excellent clinical care, but also to understand our responsibility towards society and the environment. By recognising institutions that promote sustainability, equity, and access to care, these awards highlight the values we hope to carry into future professional practice.”
The Oral Health Educators’ Award was inspired by Henry Schein’s global corporate citizenship programme, Henry Schein Cares, that aims to help health happen through five pillars: Catalysing health care access; advancing policies, solutions, and innovation; relationship building for change; empowering Team Schein; and sustaining the planet. As responsible corporate citizens, the Company’s purpose is to drive positive change through the engagement of its constituents to make the world healthier. Henry Schein Cares celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2026.
“We at Henry Schein strongly believe in action that is collaborative, people-centric, informed by science, and future-fit to meet the needs of our stakeholders and communities. ADEE, EDSA, and Henry Schein share the same values. This partnership reflects the impactful contributions dental schools and societies are making to drive change towards sustainable practices and meaningful social responsibility,” said Victoria Goodall, Vice President, Managing Director U.K. & Ireland, Distribution & Marketing EMEA, at Henry Schein.
Applications are now open to ADEE member institutions and will remain open until 30 June 2026. The awards will be presented at a gala event held as part of ADEE 2026 Annual Meeting in Budapest, Hungary, from 24 to 28 August 2026.
For further information about the application process, please visit the award website or contact administrator@adee.org.
