Calvert County Public Schools teacher Melaney Sanchez of Mount Harmony Elementary in Owings has been named to the 2026 Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship cohort by the National Geographic Society and Lindblad Expeditions.
The fellowship, now in its 20th year, selects outstanding pre-K-12 educators from across North America to embark on life-changing expeditions aboard National Geographic-Lindblad vessels. Sanchez is one of 36 Fellows chosen this year from 22 U.S. states, the District of Columbia and three Canadian provinces.
The 2026 cohort will travel to destinations including the Arctic, Europe and the Mediterranean, the Galápagos and the Southern Ocean. Fellows will gain immersive, field-based experiences they will bring back to their classrooms, communities and professional networks to ignite curiosity about the world. Each Fellow makes a two-year commitment to support National Geographic’s education initiatives through webinars, resource development, meetups and mentoring.
Sanchez joins a group with a combined teaching experience of more than 570 years. The Fellows represent diverse subjects — from geography and science to fine arts, music and foreign languages — and teach in public, charter and informal settings across urban, suburban and rural communities.
The program is supported through the Lindblad Expedition–National Geographic Fund. It is named in honor of Gilbert M. Grosvenor, chairman emeritus of the National Geographic Society, and was established in 2006 to advance geographic education. Since its founding, 470 educators have participated.
Dr. Deborah Grayson, the National Geographic Society’s chief education and community engagement officer, highlighted the impact of the new cohort.
“As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship, I am inspired by the energy and expertise this new cohort of educators brings to our global community,” Grayson said. “Fellows bring the spirit of exploration directly to their students. Whether they are teaching chemistry through Galápagos ocean research or sparking creative writing with stories of Antarctic penguins, they equip students with an Explorer Mindset. By fostering geographic thinking, these educators are inspiring a new generation of changemakers to stay curious and explore the world.”
Amy Berquist, vice president of conservation, education and sustainability at Lindblad Expeditions, noted the program’s reach.
“We are thrilled to welcome the next cohort of Grosvenor Teacher Fellows as we celebrate 20 years of this incredible program,” Berquist said. “I am particularly excited to have an educator from Wyoming in this year’s cohort, which means we now have Grosvenor Teacher Fellows in all 50 U.S. states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and abroad at Department of Defense Education Activity Schools. Through immersive travel to some of the planet’s most extraordinary ecosystems, these educators will gain invaluable perspectives they can bring back to the classroom: sparking curiosity, deepening understanding, and fostering a sense of responsibility for the natural world among their students.”
For Sanchez and her students at Mount Harmony Elementary, the fellowship represents a rare opportunity to bring world-class geographic education directly to Calvert County classrooms. The school serves families across Owings and surrounding areas of northern Calvert County, where Chesapeake Bay and Patuxent River influences are part of daily life. Fellows like Sanchez are expected to share their expedition experiences with local students, helping them connect classroom learning to global environmental issues.
The full 2026 cohort includes educators from 36 locations. Applications for the 2027 Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship are scheduled to open this fall.
