A southwest Michigan educator is headed on a summer mission abroad to gather firsthand lessons for her students.
Lakeshore High School Science Teacher Jill McNabnay has been selected to be a part of the 2023 Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship expedition to the Arctic.
Made possible by the National Geographic Society and Lindblad Expeditions, the fellowship will take 50 teachers from across the U.S. on a voyage to Iceland and Greenland. While there, teachers will be able to explore the region and gain hands-on, field-based experiences to bring the science and culture of these regions back to the classroom.
“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” McNabnay said. “You can only get this fellowship once – ever. It’s very exciting, almost overwhelming. I’m very grateful that they do this for teachers and I was very surprised to be accepted. I’m really looking forward to it and know that it’s just going to be the experience of a lifetime.”
After a rigorous application process, McNabnay was selected out of hundreds who applied. She said during the 19-day trip, the National Geographic Explorer ship will ferry the teachers around the southern and western edge of Iceland before crossing over to Greenland.
In Iceland, the teachers will study the land and sea wildlife, according to McNabnay, who has been briefed on the trip already. In Greenland, they will get the chance to kayak near some ice sheets and observe the effects of climate change. McNabnay said there will also be some cultural experiences along the way.
“They really encourage us to go with an open mind and to just be learners and explorers,” she said. “After our trip, they give us a year to be able to incorporate something from our expedition into our classroom, but they don’t necessarily want us to go there thinking that we know what that will be ahead of time. They want us to just be very open-minded to what we’re going to experience.”
Credit: Sven Olof Lindblad (courtesy McNabnay)
The only expectation the organizers have is for the teachers to go and explore, ask questions and learn – then find a way to bring it back to the classroom and the community. McNabnay said she hopes the experience will inspire some of her students – including those in her senior environmental science elective.
“I think it gives them a bigger view of the world,” McNabnay said. “I think it helps them to picture themselves as explorers and to see themselves as people that can go out and be a part of the bigger community and hopefully make an impact.”
Credit: Michael S. Nolan (courtesy McNabnay)
McNabnay said she also plans on providing updates to current and former students on social media throughout the trip.
“I see kids that have just graduated and ones I don’t even have in class that are so excited about my trip,” she said. “I think it helps them to sort of live through that, and also open them up to the global community and what’s going on in the world – especially climate change and environmental issues.”
Teacher fellows take on a two-year leadership commitment to support National Geographic’s education initiatives. Throughout their commitment, Fellows may be asked to conduct webinars, co-design resources, participate in meetups, and serve as mentors to other educators.
To learn more, visit nationalgeographic.org/education/professional-development/grosvenor-teacher-fellows/
By Ryan Yuenger
ryany@wsjm.com
