.jpg_1600.jpg)
Sharee Barton from Madison School District in Rexburg has been selected as one of this year’s Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellows in recognition of her commitment to geographic education.
The 2019 Fellows, a group of 45 highly respected educators from the United States and Canada, will embark on global expeditions on board the Lindblad Expedition ships National Geographic Explorer, National Geographic Endeavour II, National Geographic Orion and National Geographic Quest to enhance their geographic knowledge with hands-on, field-based experiences that they will bring back to their pre-K–12 classrooms, communities and professional networks.
A 30-year veteran teacher, Sharee believes that passion drives instruction. As an educator of elementary gifted and talented students, she strives to empower youth to become global stewards, fostering an explorer mindset as her students research and act to solve real-world problems. Sharee is a National Geographic Certified Educator and National Geographic GeoChallenge Regional Coordinator, and sits on the National Geographic Idaho Advisory Council.
The Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship is named in honor of Gilbert M. Grosvenor, chairman emeritus of the National Geographic Society, in recognition of his decades-long work supporting pre-K–12 teachers and promoting geography education across the United States and Canada. The expeditions were donated in perpetuity to the Society by Sven-Olof Lindblad and Lindblad Expeditions in 2006 to mark Grosvenor’s 75th birthday and honor his service to the enhancement and advancement of geographic education.
The 2019 class of Grosvenor Teacher Fellows is the largest ever selected in the program’s 13-year history. This diverse group of formal and informal educators, representing an array of subject areas including social studies, STEM, second-language programs and art, are from across the United States and Canada as well as a U.S. Department of Defense Activity School in Japan.
“We are immensely proud to support Grosvenor Teacher Fellows — extraordinary individuals who share our passion and commitment to inspiring the next generation of planetary stewards,” said National Geographic Society Executive Vice President and Chief Education Officer Vicki Phillips. “At the Society, we’re dedicated to providing educators with unparalleled resources and transformative experiences so they can advance students’ understanding of the world and empower them to generate solutions for a more sustainable future.”
“When this program launched in 2006 as a tribute to Gil Grosvenor, we had high hopes for it. We are thrilled that it has evolved to support 265 fellows over the course of the program’s history. These exemplary educators are vital to educating and inspiring the future stewards of our planet, and our mission remains to provide them impactful experiences in the world’s remote places to stimulate their knowledge and passion to help shape their students,” said Sven Lindblad, CEO & President, Lindblad Expeditions.
The 13th group of Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellows at National Geographic headquarters in Washington, D.C. Photo by JT Hardin.