WASHINGTON — Sharee Barton from Madison School District in Rexburg, Idaho 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.

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.

The Fellowship is open to pre-K–12 educators. Eligible applicants first had to complete National Geographic Educator Certification, a no-cost professional development program for educators committed to inspiring the next generation of scientists, explorers, educators and storytellers. Certified educators are also given access to exclusive National Geographic student programs, classroom resources and other professional development opportunities.

“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.

Sharee Barton's bio and photo are available on the Grosvenor Teacher Fellows website.

Starting later this year, the 2019 Fellows will begin their 10- to 23-day expeditions to locations across the globe, including Southeast Alaska, the High Arctic, the British and Irish Isles, the Canadian Maritimes, Central America, Antarctica, the Galápagos Islands and the South Pacific. The Fellows will experience landscapes, cultures and wildlife unique to their regions of exploration. They will be accompanied by Lindblad-National Geographic expedition experts, who range from undersea specialists to National Geographic photographers.

To prepare for their voyages, the new class of Fellows is currently participating in a multi-day, hands-on, pre-expedition workshop at National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C., where they are learning a range of skills from photography and video editing to outreach planning and public speaking. Lindblad Expeditions’ staff and naturalists, as well as past Fellows, also participate in the workshop, serving as mentors to the new class now and when the new Fellows return to their classrooms and communities after their expeditions. Fellows agree to a two-year commitment when they are accepted to the program, serving as program ambassadors before, during and after their expeditions.

About the National Geographic Society

The National Geographic Society is an impact-driven global nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. Since 1888, National Geographic has been pushing the boundaries of exploration, investing in bold people and transformative ideas to increase understanding of our world and generate solutions for a healthy, more sustainable future for generations to come. Our ultimate vision: a planet in balance. To learn more about the Society and its programs, visit www.nationgeographic.org.

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, or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest and LinkedIn.