Learning from the Field with Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship

It has been over a year since my expedition to the Galápagos and to be honest, I have resisted writing this blogpost because I have found it so challenging to find the right words to describe this life-changing professional development opportunity. To be able to witness Mother Nature in childlike wonder was an exceptional gift. I am not only privileged, but also honoured to have the opportunity to be in the presence of the marine iguanas, blue-footed boobies, and sea turtles of the Galápagos islands.

As the deadline of the 2025 Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship application looms, I am writing this post - as I look over the photographs from my expedition - in hopes that someone will find it helpful in applying.

My expedition partner, Elizabeth, and I visited Tomas de Berlanga School on Santa Cruz Island.

What is it?

The Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship (GTF) is a prestigious professional development opportunity for educators, offered through a partnership between National Geographic Education and Lindblad Expeditions. Here are the key details about this program:

The fellowship is named in honor of Gilbert M. Grosvenor, Chairman Emeritus of the National Geographic Society and Education Foundation Board. Grosvenor is an avid explorer himself and has written a memoir about how his family led the National Geographic Society. This fellowship aims to extend Grosvenor's legacy of excellence in geographic education by providing educators with unique field experiences.

Eligibility and Selection

• Open to pre-K–12 classroom teachers and informal educators in the United States, Canada, and Costa Rica

• Applicants are selected through a competitive application process

Seven (7) Canadian educators selected in the 2023 cohort of GTFs. Photo by Alexandra Daley-Clark.

The 2023 cohort of GTFs is a group of inspiring, empathetic, and passionate educators. Read more about these people here. Photo by Alexandra Daley-Clark.

Application Tips & Tricks

The program seeks to include a diverse group of educators from various grade levels, subject areas, and backgrounds.

Even though I am now a Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship Application Reviewer, I do not know the exact number of applications that the review committee receives. In reflecting on my own application, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of:

• Specificity: When describing your teaching practice or favourite lessons, it is imperative that there are concrete examples to illustrate your points. In my case, I’ve highlighted a Micro:bit integrated photosynthesis experiment that I designed for my Middle Years Program (MYP) Grade 10 students.

• Personalization: Take the time to dive deep into your “why” in teaching and how this expedition would benefit your students. One of the points I highlighted in my application was the importance ofr my students seeing themselves in outdoor education. I remember growing up and never seeing someone who looked like me on an expedition. Representation matters, and so I discussed how vital it is for me to be able to be the role model that I did not have as a student.

• Impact: What the GTF community is keenly interested in is how the fellowship would impact your teaching practice. I highly recommend focusing on what you will do during the expedition to support your learners, and what you will do after the expedition to further continue the discourse on Explorer’s Mindset within your community. This point is really key andI cannot emphasize this more - the more specific your action (i.e. I will engage in a community clean up activity at our local beach with the Parent Teacher Association or I will incorporate learnings from the field into my solutions unit) the easier it would be for the reviewers to understand your intent with the learnings from this professional development.

With limited cellular service, I used Instagram’s stories to highlight our expeditions.

A photo is worth a thousand words: I discovered my own way of digital storytelling during the expedition.

Behind-the-scenes (BTS) photos are always worth showcasing special close encounter moments like these.

Fellowship Experience

• Fellows embark on educational expeditions aboard the Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic fleet

• Destinations differ slightly from year to year, but always include various locations around the world, offering exposure to diverse ecosystems and cultures

• The expeditions provide invaluable insights into global environmental issues and stewardship

As GTFs, we were invited to the National Geographic Society headquarters, lovingly called Base Camp, to dive deeper into the Explorer Mindset Learning Framework and how we can incorporate it into our teaching practice.

Elizabeth and I were always curious on the islands. Here we are in awe with how light the whale bones are.

Using a macro lens attachment for cell phones, I captured many photos on the natural textures of Galápagos. Here - I am taking a photo of a tortoise shell.

Fellowship Commitments

• Fellows commit to a two-year involvement with the program

• Responsibilities include:

• Supporting National Geographic's education initiatives

• Conducting webinars

• Co-designing educational resources

• Participating in meetups

• Serving as mentors to other educators

Fellowship Impact

The fellowship aims to:

• Enhance geographic education, particularly the National Geographic’s Explorer’s Mindset Learning Framework

• Provide educators with real-world experiences to bring back to their classrooms

• Inspire the next generation of environmental stewards

A post snorkeling photo with my expedition partner Elizabeth and naturalist mentor Celso.

In reflecting on my own opportunity of ‘learning on the field’ with the Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship, I have come to understand how precious it is to experience new and varied environments, and witness Mother Nature in a different and personal way. It has truly inspired me. The learnings from this trip have created ongoing and ever-expanding ripples in my teaching career and classrooms, and have positively impacted how I interact with and experience my own world - as a teacher and a human.  

It is my hope that these tips can inspire and support your own applications to the Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship. Best of luck!