WASHINGTON (March 14, 2016) - In recognition of their commitment to geographic education, 35 highly respected educators from the United States and Canada have been selected as the 10th group of Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellows. The 2016 Fellows will embark on global expeditions onboard the Lindblad expedition ships, National Geographic Explorer and National Geographic Endeavour, in pursuit of enhancing their geographic knowledge with hands-on field experience that they will bring back to their local communities.Every year, K-12 educators around the county are encouraged to apply for this unique learning experience and professional development opportunity.
The 2016 Grosvenor Teacher Fellows are:
Leah Gagne, Duluth, Minnesota
Kristen Gill, North Vancouver, British Columbia
Sarah Smith, Painted Post, New York
Karina Vanderbilt, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Kerri McAllister, Sausalito, California
Craig Hemsath, La Porte City, Iowa
Jonathan Frostad, Anacortes, Washington
Fiona Hall, Toronto, Ontario
Michelle Bretherton, Olympia, Washington
Kathleen Ho, Mountain View, California
Jeanne Muzi, Lawrenceville, New Jersey
Breanna Myles, Lion's Head, Ontario
Marcella Ovalle, San Antonio, Texas
Ellen Hoitsma, Baltimore, Maryland
Amy Rothschild, Washington, D.C.
Nicholas Gattis, Charlotte, North Carolina
Timothy Martin, Browns Summit, North Carolina
Heather Page, Astoria, New York
Cholehna Weaver, Ocean View, New Jersey
Joe Grabowski, Guelph, Ontario
Mark Woodward, Ketchikan, Alaska
Karla Cienfuegos, Northridge, California
Karuna Skariah, Burtonsville, Maryland
Louise McMinn, Greenwich, Connecticut
Amy Hale, Tacoma, Washington
Adrienne Forgette, Rome, Georgia
Sarah Hicks, Alabaster, Alabama
Brittany Bauer, Stephenson, West Virginia
Kelly Mullen, Cincinnati, Ohio
Randy French, Livonia, New York
David Walker, Austin, Texas
Samuel Northern, Bowling Green, Kentucky
Jeanna Pena, Houston, Texas
Diane Hance, Austin, Texas
Sara Plowman, Oakland, California
Photos and biographies of the Fellows are available on the Grosvenor Teacher Fellows website at natgeoed.org/gtf.
The Fellows will begin their 10- to 17-day expeditions, starting later this year, to locations including Arctic Svalbard, Iceland, Greenland, Antarctica, the British Isles and the Galapagos Islands. Accompanied by Lindblad-National Geographic expedition experts, ranging from undersea specialists to National Geographic photographers, the Fellows will experience landscapes, cultures and wildlife unique to their regions of exploration. The excursions will educationally immerse the Fellows in learning and give them new knowledge to bring back to their local classrooms and professional communities.
Before their voyages, the Fellows will travel to National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C., where they will participate in hands-on, pre-expedition workshops covering photography and outreach planning and will have the opportunity to network with Lindblad Expeditions naturalists and past Fellows.
The Grosvenor Teacher Fellow program is an important piece of National Geographic's work to educate global citizens, said Gary E. Knell, President and CEO of the National Geographic Society. The Fellows are taking on a great responsibility in educating a new generation of explorers, and I look forward to hearing about their experiences and seeing how they leave their mark on geographic education.
We are delighted that in the 10 years since its inception, we have been able to bring 145 educators to some of the world's most remote and pristine places for professional development, stated Sven Lindblad, Founder and CEO of Lindblad Expeditions. These are outstanding educators who are committed to improving geographic education and ensuring that tomorrow's leaders are responsible stewards of our ocean and our planet. We are honored to help fuel their passion to share knowledge, and the world, with their students.
This year marks the 10th year of the Grosvenor Teacher Fellow Program, established to honor former National Geographic Society Chairman Gilbert M. Grosvenor's lifetime commitment to geographic education. Onboard expedition accommodations for this program were donated by Sven-Olof Lindblad and Lindblad Expeditions in 2006 to commemorate Grosvenor's 75th birthday and honor his service to the enhancement and advancement of geographic education.
About National Geographic Society
National Geographic is a global nonprofit membership organization driven by a passionate belief in the power of science, exploration and storytelling to change the world. We fund hundreds of research and conservation projects around the globe each year. With the support of our members and donors, we work to inspire, illuminate and teach through scientific expeditions, award-winning journalism, education initiatives and more. For more information, visit www.nationalgeographic.org.
About Lindblad Expeditions
Lindblad Expeditions, specialists in expedition travel, works in alliance with the National Geographic Society to inspire people to explore and care about the planet. As pioneers of global exploration, their collaboration in research, technology and conservation provides extraordinary travel experiences and disseminates geographic knowledge around the globe. Their educationally oriented voyages to all seven continents allow guests to interact with and learn from leading scientists, naturalists and researchers while discovering stunning natural environments, above and below the sea, through state-of-the-art exploration tools. Destinations include the Gal pagos, Antarctica, the Arctic, Baja California, Alaska, Costa Rica and Panama, the Amazon, Southeast Asia and Pacific, Africa, Indian Ocean, Europe, the Mediterranean and beyond.
NOTE: Interviews with Fellows and
