WASHINGTON (Sept. 11, 2008)—Anne Marie Evans, a geography and history teacher at Elko Middle School in Sandston, Va., and Paul Gray, a social studies teacher and department chairman at Russellville High School in Russellville, Ark., are the second recipients of the Grosvenor Teacher Fellowships, established to honor National Geographic Society Chairman Gilbert M. Grosvenor’s lifetime commitment to geography education.
The fellowships were donated in perpetuity to the National Geographic Society by Sven-Olof Lindblad and Lindblad Expeditions to mark Grosvenor’s 75th birthday in 2006 and to honor his service in enhancing and improving geography education across the United States. The annual fellowships are awarded to two teachers who demonstrate excellence in geography education. The teachers, nominated by their state geography alliances, travel to a destination of their choice aboard one of Lindblad Expeditions’ seven expedition vessels and receive a $3,000 honorarium from the National Geographic Education Foundation.
Evans, who will be traveling in April 2009 to the Indian Ocean islands of Seychelles, Comoros, Madagascar and Zanzibar, has taught for over 20 years and holds leadership positions with the National Geographic Virginia Geography Alliance. She is currently working with other teachers in her school to create a cross-curricular unit on the theme of exploring Africa, and “this award will not only fulfill a lifelong dream to travel to Africa but also expand my professional knowledge of this dynamic continent,” she said.
Gray, recently named Arkansas “Teacher of the Year,” has taught for 13 years and will betraveling in November 2008 to Antarctica, a region he has wanted to visit since childhood. He is also eager to use his experience as a Lindblad Expeditions’ Grosvenor Teacher Fellow to highlight the importance of geography instruction.
Said Gray, “In most schools, geography has not been recognized as a core subject for many years. I hope my experiences and opportunities as a Grosvenor Teacher Fellow will allow me to find ways to get geography and geography education in the forefront of the educational community.” Gray plans to document his voyage and create interactive lesson plans to bring to life his travel experience for his students.
“We are delighted that Paul and Anne Marie, two outstanding educators strongly committed to hands-on geography education, have won this year’s teacher fellowships,” said Sven-Olof Lindblad, founder and president of Lindblad Expeditions. “This program recognizes outstanding teachers who are dedicated to improving geographic literacy in our classrooms and encouraging children to become responsible caretakers of our planet.”
“The partnership between Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic is an ideal fit of our two missions,” said Gil Grosvenor. “We believe in the value of educational travel, and Lindblad’s programs are the best in this area. Teachers awarded these fellowships will have experiences they will never forget.
”To learn more about this opportunity, contact your state’s Geography Alliance Coordinator. For a full listing of Geography Alliance Coordinators, visit the following link on National Geographic’s Ed Net site: http://www.ngsednet.org/community/about.cfm?community_id=94.
Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic
Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic have joined in a mission-driven alliance to inspire people to explore and care about the planet. As pioneers of global exploration, 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 leading scientists, naturalists and researchers while discovering stunning natural environments, above and below the sea, through state-of-the-art exploration tools. A joint philanthropic fund that supports science and conservation groups enables better understanding of the world’s remaining special places and fosters the dissemination of geographic knowledge around the globe.
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