By Kathy Mansfield
kathy.mansfield@education.ky.gov

In recognition of his commitment to geographic education, Sam Northern was selected as one of the 2016 Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellows. Northern, who is a library media specialist at Simpson Elementary School, is one of 35 educators from the United States and Canada to receive this honor.

Sam Northern

Sam Northern

Later this year, Northern will embark on a 14-day Lindblad voyage aboard National Geographic Explorer to Antarctica for a one-of-a-kind field experience, accompanied by Lindblad-National Geographic expedition experts. The expedition will provide Northern with new and exciting knowledge to bring back to Simpson County schools and the community.

In April, Northern traveled to National Geographic Society’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., to participate in hands-on workshops covering photography and outreach. He had the opportunity to meet Lindblad Expeditions’ naturalists and to network with previous years’ fellows.

Northern says the upcoming adventure “will give me the opportunity to broaden my geographic horizons, explore and bring this experience back to my students and community.”

The Grosvenor Teacher Fellow Program will support Northern’s efforts in developing a library media curriculum that embeds opportunities for students to research places and cultures from around the world, nurturing a global perspective.

“The Fellowship will give me the knowledge and skills to work closely with individual teachers in designing geography learning tasks that utilize library resources and emerging technologies,” he said. “I hope to use this experience to focus on students’ readiness for a diverse world that is becoming more and more connected each and every day.”

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. The expeditions 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 geographic education across the United States.

Visit the National Geographic website to learn more.