Knightly News

Photo credit: Angela Thomas

As a young girl, Upper School English teacher Melissa Easley dreamed of studying oceanography. Curious and conservation-minded, she envisioned life aboard a boat exploring the sea and everything in it. Fast forward to the summer of 2026, and Easley will realize her childhood dream as a Grosvenor Teacher Fellow aboard the National Geographic Endurance.

Excellence in Geographic Education

Easley was selected as one of 36 educators nationwide to be a 2026 Grosvenor Teacher Fellow through Lindblad Expeditions and the National Geographic Society. The program is named in honor of Gilbert M. Grosvenor, chairman emeritus of the National Geographic Society.  According to the partnership, the fellowship “is a professional learning opportunity for pre-K-12 educators who will embark on expeditions around the world. Through this extraordinary travel experience, the Fellows will deepen their geographic knowledge through immersive, field-based experiences they will bring back to their classrooms, communities and professional networks to ignite curiosity around the world. They will also take on a two-year commitment to support National Geographic’s education initiatives and may be asked to conduct webinars, co-design resources, participate in meetups, and mentor other educators.”

Easley’s field-based experience is an expedition to southeast Greenland, a first for National Geographic- Lindblad Expeditions. Easley, along with three other Teacher Fellows and a group of explorers, will embark on the ship in Iceland, cross the Denmark Strait and take in coastal Southeast Greenland. The trip includes hiking, kayaking and wildlife viewing. Easley is particularly eager to see the Arctic Fox. After exploring the remote, uninhabited region, the team will return to Iceland for departure.

Photo credit: Michael S. Nolan

Photo credit: Michael S. Nolan

Wonder and Appreciation for the Natural World

After this tremendous learning opportunity, Easley looks forward to returning to the classroom to inspire Episcopal students to connect with nature. “People need to feel connected to a place to want to protect it,” she says. She points out that the goal of expeditions such as this is to foster a mindset of wonder and appreciation for the natural world, and the hope is that teachers convey that passion to students.

Easley already educates Episcopal students on environmental issues through her English IV: Literature of the Mississippi River class. A tour of the Water Institute’s Mississippi River model motivated Easley to create an English class that uses a storytelling lens to engage students with the local environment. “I have a lot of knowledge of other places, but that was personally missing for me a little bit,” she recalls of her own educational experience. In English IV, students read "Rising Tide" and "James" as core texts. In addition to the typical reading, writing and researching students expect in an English course, they also participate in activities, including field trips. Students tour the Water Institute and plant trees in Bayou Bienvenue. “We want the students to make connections between our classes, and this course bridges numerous disciplines,” says Easley. She believes the course is an ideal example of the whole child learning for which Episcopal is known.

Professional Development with a Tremendous Student Impact

Easley says the summer expedition will certainly inform how she approaches teaching going forward. For now, she’s keeping an open mind about how this professional development opportunity will positively impact students. The thought of connecting Louisiana’s wetlands to the Greenland fjords through exploration and learning is a dream come true and one she can’t wait to share with the Episcopal community and beyond.

The Episcopal School of Baton Rouge 2025-2026 application is now available! ​For more information on the application process, to schedule a tour, or learn more about the private school, contact us at [email protected] or 225-755-2685.