Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic Society Announce 12th Annual Class of Grosvenor Teacher Fellows

LINDBLAD EXPEDITIONS AND NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
SOCIETY ANNOUNCE 12TH ANNUAL CLASS OF
GROSVENOR TEACHER FELLOWS

Program to Send 40 Educators on Global Expeditions for Hands-On Professional Development

WASHINGTON (March 22, 2018)—In recognition of their commitment to geographic education, 40 highly respected educators from the United States and Canada have been selected as the 12th group of Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellows. The 2018 Fellows will embark on global expeditions on board the Lindblad Expedition ships National Geographic Explorer, National Geographic Endeavour ll and National Geographic Sea Lion in pursuit of enhancing their geographic knowledge with hands-on, field-based experiences that they will bring back to their classrooms, communities and professional networks.

This year marks the 12th 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.

Every year, pre-K–12 educators around the United States and Canada are encouraged to apply for this unique learning experience and professional development opportunity.

"The Grosvenor Teacher Fellow program gave me skills and confidence to create opportunities for students to solve the problems that matter to them," said Margaret (Peg) Keiner, a 2017 Grosvenor Teacher Fellow. "Inspired by my Antarctic expedition, I realized how important it is to empower students to ask questions, collect information, share their geo-stories, and take action."

The 2018 Grosvenor Teacher Fellows are: 

  • Kristi Barnes, Seneca Middle School, Seneca, South Carolina
  • Parag Bhuva, Washington Latin Public Charter School, Washington, D.C.
  • Jordan Budisantoso, Washington Leadership Academy Public Charter School, Washington, D.C.
  • Danielle Buggé, West Windsor Plainsboro High School South, West Windsor, New Jersey
  • Casey Charles, Westmount Public School, Lakehead District School Board, Thunder Bay, ON, Canada
  • Jennifer Chavez-Miller, South Valley Academy, Albuquerque, New Mexico
  • Jerry Citron, Stuyvesant High School, New York, New York
  • Sarah Compton, Austin Career Education Center, Chicago, Illinois
  • Melissa Cook, Hazel Valley Elementary School, Burien, Washington
  • Kathryn Craven, Ashford School, Ashford, Connecticut
  • Julia DeMarines, Chabot Space & Science Center, Oakland, California
  • Jessika Dorcas, Pine Lake Preparatory School, Mooresville, North Carolina
  • Nicole Eshelman, Manheim Township High School, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
  • Stacy Gasteiger, Selinsgrove Intermediate School, Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania
  • Katherine Golden, EarthWays Center of Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, Missouri
  • Ben Graves, Delta High School, Delta, Colorado
  • Trevor Hance, Laurel Mountain Elementary School, Austin, Texas
  • Paula Huddy-Zubkowski, Saint Joseph Elementary Junior High School, Calgary, AB, Canada
  • Megan Jefferson, Johnnycake Elementary School, Baltimore, Maryland
  • Justin Kaput, Suffield High School, Suffield, Connecticut
  • Daniel, Kinzer, Punahou School, Honolulu, Hawaii
  • Kathleen Knecht, Ashford School, Ashford, Connecticut
  • Abra Koch, Loveland High School, Loveland, Ohio
  • Kelly Koller, Washington Middle School, Oconto Falls, Wisconsin
  • Lindsay Lancaster, Healthy Foods for Healthy Kids, Hockessin, Delaware
  • Christine McCartney, Excelsior Academy, Newburgh, New York
  • Logan McWilliams, Madison Park Primary Academy, Oakland, California
  • Tama Nunnelley, Guntersville Middle School, Guntersville, Alabama
  • Judith Painter, Andrew Lewis Middle School, Salem, Virginia
  • Jessica Parra, Leckie Elementary, Washington, D.C.
  • Donnie Piercey, Eminence Elementary School, Eminence, Kentucky.
  • Kholood Qumei, Manhattan International High School, New York, New York
  • April Salas, Mendez Fundamental Intermediate School, Santa Ana, California
  • Becky Schnekser, Cape Henry Collegiate, Virginia Beach, Virginia
  • Julie Theim, Rolling Hills Elementary School, Mukwonago, Wisconsin
  • Erin Towns, Edward Little High School, Auburn, Maine
  • Alison Travis, Prospect Ridge Academy, Broomfield, Colorado
  • Amy Trenkle, Alice Deal Middle School, Washington, D.C.
  • Kerri Westgard,  Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton Middle School, Dilworth, Minnesota.
  • Samra Zeweldi, Mississauga Christian Academy, Mississauga, ON, Canada 

Starting later this year, the Fellows will begin their 10- to 17-day expeditions to locations including the Canadian High Arctic, Antarctica, Southeast Alaska, Arctic Svalbard, Norway, Iceland, Greenland and the Galápagos 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.

Before their voyages, the Fellows traveled to National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C., where they participated in a multiday, hands-on, pre-expedition workshop covering everything from photography to outreach planning and had the opportunity to network with Lindblad Expeditions’ naturalists and past Fellows.

“Grosvenor Teacher Fellows are an integral part of National Geographic’s work to achieve a planet in balance,” said Mike Ulica, interim president and CEO of the National Geographic Society. “Educators like these Fellows ensure that students are equipped with geographic knowledge and global awareness, empowering the next generation to create solutions for a healthier and more sustainable future.”

“These are exemplary educators who play a vital role in shaping and inspiring the future stewards of our planet. We are committed to taking them to some of the world’s most remote and pristine places to help fuel their passion to share knowledge, and the world, with their students,” stated Sven Lindblad, CEO and president of Lindblad Expeditions.

Photos and biographies of the 2018 Fellows are available on the Grosvenor Teacher Fellow website.

About Lindblad Expeditions

Lindblad Expeditions is an expedition travel company that works in alliance with the National Geographic Society to inspire people to explore and care about the planet. The organizations work in tandem to produce innovative marine expedition programs and to promote conservation and sustainable tourism around the world. The partnership’s educationally oriented voyages 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. For more information, visit www.expeditions.com.

About the National Geographic Society

The National Geographic Society is a leading nonprofit that invests in bold people and transformative ideas in the fields of exploration, scientific research, storytelling and education. The Society aspires to create a community of change, advancing key insights about the planet and probing some of the most pressing scientific questions of our time, all while ensuring that the next generation is armed with geographic knowledge and global understanding. Its goal is measurable impact: furthering exploration and educating people around the world to inspire solutions for the greater good. For more information, visit www.nationalgeographic.org.

NOTE: Interviews with Fellows and Lindblad-National Geographic representatives, high-res photographs and broadcast-quality b-roll are available upon request.

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Media contact: Patty Disken-Cahill, [email protected], 212-261-9081