National Geographic recognizes Guelph science teacher

Local elementary school teacher Joe Grabowski has been recognized as an Emerging Explorer by the National Geographic Society for his dedication and innovation in the classroom.

Grabowski, who teaches science and math at St. John Catholic School, was named one of 14 Emerging Explorers for 2017 by the society.

"I've known for about two months and had to keep it secret, which was really hard because I was so excited," Grabowski said in an interview.

"It's an amazing honour. Now what we do will have the weight of the National Geographic Society behind us and allow us to do even more."

Grabowski is a Guelph native and University of Guelph grad.

He uses the power of the internet to connect students with people and places they might otherwise never get to experience.

Using Skype and Google Hangouts, Grabowski's students have had virtual encounters with penguins in Antarctica, a Florida turtle hospital, explorers who have climbed Mount Everest, shark experts from Australia and NASA scientists just to name a few.

He has also started the non-profit Education By The Seat of Your Pants that have allowed over 3,000 classrooms across North America to join in on the virtual teaching via Google Hangouts.

That effort garnered him $100,000 last year from the Canadian Scholarship Trust Foundation Inspiring Minds contest. He has used the money to expand the connections, buying video broadcast units that scientists and explorers are taking on their excursions, then connecting to classrooms on location.

National Geographic calls Grabowski one "fourteen world-changers," part of a group of "uniquely gifted and inspiring scientists, conservationists, storytellers and innovators who are changing the world."

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More important than the $10,000 prize the Emerging Explorer designation gets him, Grabowski is looking forward to spending a week in Washington, D.C., this summer as part of National Geographic's annual explorers symposium and lecture series.

"That will be amazing," he said. "I'll get to network and meet with all kinds of people."

Other winners include include everything from an Angolan conservationist protecting wildlife in the Angolan wilderness to an Italian paleontologist who leads a team developing a new methodology for countering illegal fossil trading.

National Geographic describes Grabowski as an "educator and scuba diver working to bring science, exploration, adventure and conservation into classrooms across North America through virtual speakers and field trips. Grabowski is using technology to open the most remote corners of the planet to classrooms."

Grabowski previously received one of National Geographic Society's Grosvener Teaching Fellowships and spent 10 days in the Galapagos Islands last summer studying.