Kamaliʻi Elementary Educator Selected for National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship

Maui educator, Kacie Seitz, has been selected for a prestigious national fellowship that will bring global exploration and real-world learning opportunities back to students on Maui.

Seitz is an enrichment teacher for grades 3–5 and curriculum coordinator at Kamaliʻi Elementary School in Kīhei. She has been named a 2026 Grosvenor Teacher Fellow through the National Geographic Society in partnership with Lindblad Expeditions.

Announced April 29, 2026, in Washington, D.C., the 2026 cohort marks the 20th anniversary of the Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship and includes 36 educators from across North America, representing a wide range of grade levels, subject areas, and school communities, with a combined 570 years of teaching experience.

In April, Seitz traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with the fellowship cohort as part of a pre-expedition workshop. During this experience, Fellows began building relationships, learning from one another, and preparing to translate their expedition experiences into meaningful learning opportunities for their students and communities.

In Washington, D.C., Seitz met her teacher expedition partner, Reva Lobatos, who teaches at Aspen Elementary School in Riverton, Wyoming. The two have already begun exploring connections between their communities, including student storytelling, environmental perspectives, and shared learning experiences across place.

“To find someone who shares such a deep commitment to this work and to our students is incredibly special. We are already dreaming about how our students could share their stories, their places, and their perspectives with one another and the world in meaningful ways,” Seitz said.

The Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship is a professional development opportunity for pre-K–12 educators designed to bring real-world exploration into teaching and learning. Through a highly competitive application process, selected Fellows are invited to participate in immersive, field-based experiences aboard Lindblad Expeditions’ voyages. While on board, educators explore diverse landscapes, cultures, and wildlife, learning alongside experts such as naturalists, undersea specialists, and National Geographic photographers.

As part of the fellowship, Seitz will travel aboard the National Geographic Orion on the expedition Crossroads of the Ancient World, exploring Greece and Turkey. During the voyage, she will engage in hands-on learning experiences that connect history, culture, and the natural world.

“I am excited to go on this expedition to listen deeply to the histories, the stories, and the people, and to bring those experiences back to my students and our community,” Seitz said. “I am so honored and grateful to be able to go and learn, and to use that learning in service of my students and community.”

The fellowship is a two-year professional learning and leadership experience that extends far beyond the expedition itself. Fellows commit to integrating their experiences into classroom instruction, developing and sharing educational resources, collaborating with a global network of educators, and supporting National Geographic education initiatives. This may include leading professional learning, mentoring other educators, participating in webinars, and contributing to curriculum design.

“I hope my students see that being an explorer doesn’t only mean traveling far from home. It can also mean looking more deeply at the place we live. Here on Maui, we are surrounded by stories, connections, and environments that shape who we are. The Explorer Mindset is about curiosity, empathy, and a desire to understand, and that can start right here,” Seitz said.

At Kamaliʻi Elementary School, Seitz loves teaching project-based learning units and integrating place-based experiences, grounded in the belief that Maui itself is a powerful classroom that is full of people, places, and stories that shape students’ understanding of the world. She plans to bring back stories, perspectives, and resources from the Mediterranean to further expand opportunities for her students and school community.

For Seitz, the opportunity is also deeply meaningful on a personal level.

“When my dad passed away last year, I knew he wanted me to continue living a life rooted in travel, deep relationships, and service of others,” she shared. “This fellowship felt like a way to honor that, to keep exploring, learning, and giving back.”

The Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship continues to empower educators to bring authentic, real-world experiences into their classrooms, helping students not only learn about the world, but understand their place within it and their ability to shape its future.