Local elementary school teacher Joe Grabowski has been selected by the National Geographic Society to embark on a 10-day expedition to the Galapagos Islands as part of the Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship.
One of 35 educators selected across Canada and the United States, Grabowski will use this professional development opportunity to bring geographic learning experiences back to his Grade 6 and 8 science students at St. John Catholic School in Guelph.
Earlier this year, Grabowski was profiled in the National Geographic Education blog, recognizing his innovative teaching approach that exposes students to some of the world’s greatest adventures. Through his non-profit organization, Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants, Grabowski uses programs like Skype and Google Hangouts to connect his classes with scientists, explorers and conservationists from around the world.
“We’ve joined an expedition on an active volcano, hung out in an Adélie penguin colony, and watched a wild shark get tagged at a lab in Bimini, in the Bahamas,” said Grabowski in a press release.
“Thanks to technology my students have learned about cultures and environmental challenges in Iceland, Afghanistan, Ecuador, Antarctica, and Timor-Leste. Our guest teachers are National Geographic explorers, Mission 31 aquanauts, marine biologists, rocket scientists, videographers, endurance athletes, environmental activists, and even other students.”
This is not the first time Grabowski has received international attention. During an assignment studying sharks in Australia, students sent open letters to the premier of western Australia to voice their opinion about an upcoming shark cull. Not satisfied with the reply, students sent another letter. The correspondence made local and international headlines, and resulted in the class making a video for a conservation group in western Australia and a radio interview in Perth.
“My students definitely know about their responsibility to steward all of creation and they’ve learned their voices could be heard, even on the other side of the world,” Grabowski said.
“We are so proud of teachers like Joe and the creativity they bring to their classrooms,” said Tamara Nugent, director of education at Wellington Catholic.
“Our passion as educators is to connect students with their world in ways that get them excited about learning and leading. Across our board we want to inspire our students’ love of learning. As we mark the beginning of Education Week, there couldn’t be a better time to celebrate Joe’s accomplishments and talents.”
More information about Grabowski and his organization, Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants, as well as the National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellow program can be found at https://blog.education.nationalgeographic.com/2016/03/29/educator-spotlight-virtual-exploring/
