Teacher Departs for Antarctica

Jordan High School teacher Kelly Meade heads to Antarctica on Dec. 16 as one of this year’s Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellows.  The 2017 fellows, a group of 35 educators from the United States and Canada, will embark on global expeditions onboard the Lindblad expedition ships – National Geographic Explorer, National Geographic Endeavour ll and National Geographic Sea Lion – for hands-on field experience and professional development.

“A dream has finally become reality!”  Meade said.  She is director of the California Partnership Academy, Aspirations in Medical Services (AIMS) at Jordan, where she teaches medical chemistry, lab earth science, and epidemiology and public health courses.  She also supports the school as a Chromebook and iPad coordinator.  The AIMS pathway provides a combination of rigorous academics and career-focused technical education.

Meade is a world traveler.  She has worked with the Peace Corps in Uganda, and she has volunteered in South Africa and the United Kingdom to promote music education.  In her spare time, she enjoys climbing mountains, snowboarding and paddleboarding.  View her website at sites.google.com/view/KellyMeade.

The fellows will join 10- to 17-day expeditions to locations including the Canadian High Arctic, Antarctica, Southeast Alaska, Arctic Svalbard, Iceland, Greenland and Galápagos Islands.  Accompanied by Lindblad-National Geographic expedition experts, ranging from undersea specialists to National Geographic photographers, the fellows will experience landscapes, cultures and wildlife unique to their regions of exploration.  The excursions will give the fellows expertise to bring back to their classrooms and professional communities.

“The National Geographic Society aims to further global understanding and support educators like the Grosvenor Teacher Fellows,” said Gary E. Knell, president and CEO of the National Geographic Society.  “I look forward to seeing how the fellows will share this unique opportunity with their local communities to enhance geographic knowledge and global awareness.”

This year marks the 11th year of the fellowships, which honor former National Geographic Society Chairman Gilbert M. Grosvenor.