Each year, the Council presents the Queen Smith Award for Commitment to Urban Education to an urban school educator who has made significant contributions to education and to the community. Sponsored by the Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Publishing Co., the award is named in memory of the company's late vice president of urban programs. The Queen Smith Award winner receives $5,000 and the Council is awarded $1,000 for its programs that serve as a model for educating future generations.

The 2024 Queen Smith Award was granted to Mona Al-Hayania, a history teacher at the Toledo Early College.