Elmwood High School teacher named 2023 Grosvenor Teacher Fellow through the National Geographic Society

Elmwood High School teacher Jenna Forslund is one of 50 highly respected educators named to the 15th cohort of Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic Society Grosvenor Teacher Fellows. 

Selected from a competitive pool of hundreds of applicants from across the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico, Forslund was awarded the professional development journey of a lifetime as part of the fellowship. In September 2023, she embarked on an expedition to Japan that would last 15 days and forever in her memory.

“In February, I got a call from Idaho, saying I was the successful applicant and telling me I was going to Japan. I’d never been to that part of the world. When they gave us the itinerary, there was a lot of cultural learning and aspects to it, it kind of concerned me as I’m a math and science teacher how am I going to bridge this connection? But through my expedition, I learned a lot about Japanese culture, their reverence for nature and really taking care of their environment and this amazing hospitality and welcome towards any one,” said Forslund. 

Forslund is deeply passionate about climate change, social justice, and the interconnectedness of our actions and global impact. This is evident in her teaching that focuses on infusing cross-curricular projects and experiential learning to challenge her students to think critically about the world around them. She hopes that her voyage to Japan will further promote the explorer mindset within the curriculum and excite her students about geographical literacy and STEM.

“When you are experiencing a culture and a country, it puts things into perspective you are bringing this back to students who may not ever get this opportunity. I haven’t quite fully digested the experience; it’s been a whirlwind and I have so many ideas percolating on how I’m going to bring this experience back to the classroom and act as ambassador for the places I visited. My hope is to connect with elders and get students out on the land to really build that appreciation toward nature,” said Forslund.

The Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship was founded by Sven-Olof Lindblad in honour of Gilbert M. Grosvenor, chairman emeritus, National Geographic Society, in recognition of his decades-long work supporting pre-K to 12 educators and promoting geography education across the United States and Canada. 

According to the National Geographic Society, “Grosvenor Teacher Fellows are an integral part of the National Geographic community, working to further young people’s understanding of the planet and empower them to generate solutions for a healthier and more sustainable future. They help ensure that the next generation is armed with geographic knowledge and global awareness.”

“In Japan, I was able to bridge connections to what I know about Indigenous culture. I think similarities are stronger than differences. We aren’t that different. So that is where I’m looking to explore. How to build that reverence for nature much like Japanese culture and Indigenous culture within students living in an urban environment?” said Forslund.