National Geographic and Lindblad Expeditions March 27 announced their 11th annual Grosvenor Teacher Fellows for 2017, who included Indian American teacher Kavita Gupta.

Gupta was one of the 35 pre-K-12 educators in the United States and Canada chosen in recognition of their commitment to geographic education.

The Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellows will embark on global expeditions onboard the Lindblad expedition ships National Geographic Explorer, National Geographic Endeavour ll and National Geographic Sea Lion in pursuit of enhancing their geographic knowledge with hands-on field experience they will bring back to their classrooms and professional communities, according to a National Geographic statement.

Gupta is a veteran high school chemistry teacher in Cupertino, Calif., who strives to develop a scientific view of the world and foster a love of learning in her students, according to her Fellow bio.

Her success is evident in the accolades she has received from institutions such as Stanford University, MIT, the American Chemical Society and Intel, it said.

She believes scientific literacy and global citizenship are essential for all students, not only for science majors. She has planned and presented at national conferences and written scholarly articles on these topics, National Geographic added.

Gupta and all the Fellows will begin their 10- to 17-day expeditions later this year. Among the locations the Fellows will travel to include the Canadian High Arctic, Antarctica, Southeast Alaska, Arctic Svalbard, Iceland, Greenland and Galpagos Islands.

They will be accompanied by Lindblad-National Geographic expedition experts, ranging from undersea specialists to National Geographic photographers, the statement said.

The excursions will educationally immerse the Fellows in learning and give them new knowledge to bring back to their local classrooms and professional communities, it added.

The National Geographic Society aims to further global understanding and support educators, like the Grosvenor Teacher Fellows, said Gary E. Knell, president and chief executive officer 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, he said.

These are outstanding educators who are committed to improving geographic education and ensuring that tomorrows leaders are responsible stewards of our ocean and our planet, added Lindblad Expeditions CEO Sven Lindblad. We are honored to share with them some of the worlds remotest and most pristine places to help fuel their passion to share knowledge, and the world, with their students.

The Grosvenor Teacher Fellow Program was established to honor former National Geographic Society chairman Gilbert M. Grosvenors lifetime commitment to geographic education.

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Chemistry Educator Named One of 35 National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions - India West