Educator Opportunities

Welcome, educators! Earthwatch has long been a leader in hands-on environmental learning. Whether you apply for a fellowship, join an expedition with a student group, or teach your students an expedition-based lesson, we hope you will bring Earthwatch into your classroom. You can also nominate your students for one of our competitive Student Fellowships.

Educator Fellowships

Summer Fellowships
Get out of the classroom and head into the field to learn about cutting edge research and conservation efforts, to develop professional skills, and to make a difference for our shared environment! As a summer educator fellow, you’ll spend 1-2 weeks of your summer recess on an Earthwatch expedition alongside a diverse team of volunteers led by prominent field researchers.  After your expedition, you’ll bring the world back into your classroom and to your students as you’ve never done before.

Learn more about our Summer Fellowship program.

Live From the Field
Live From the Field educator fellows join Earthwatch research teams during a brief portion (7 to 10 days) of their school year and share their experiences with classrooms at home using blogs containing, photos, videos, lessons, and activities. Live From the Field educator fellows also connect with students through live video and phone conferencing at scheduled times during their expedition.

Learn more about our Live From the Field Fellowship program

K-12 classroom educators of any subject(s) from public or private schools nationwide are eligible to apply for Earthwatch fellowships.  The strongest applicants are those who are passionate about teaching, excited about making a difference with their time and talents, and committed to engaging their communities using their knowledge, passion, and energy.

The minimum contribution normally required of expedition participants is waived for Fellowship Recipients, thanks to the generosity of fellowships’ funders.  All Earthwatch Educator Fellowships offset the full cost of your expedition, including meals, accommodations, research permits, equipment costs, and on-site transportation. Educator Fellowships also provide a travel stipend to offset some out-of-pocket travel expenses to and from the expedition site.

Groups

Earthwatch gets high school students and teachers off the bus and into the world. Earthwatch teams are experiential learning at its best - real environmental field research.  Find out how you can organize a group of your students to participate on an unforgettable Earthwatch expedition that will bring classroom curriculum to life like your students never imagined.  Plus, teachers can join an expedition without paying a contribution!

Learn more about group reservations

Classroom Resources

Curriculum Ideas and Lesson Plans
Earthwatch makes lesson plans and curriculum ideas submitted by past educator fellows available to all teachers on our website.  Lessons are based on current or former Earthwatch expeditions, and are a great resource for teachers who have not yet participated on an Earthwatch expedition. 

View Curriculum Ideas and Lesson Plans

Classroom Earth Case Studies
Through the generosity of the Goldring Family Foundation, Earthwatch has created a set of Case Studies that outline the background, field research methods, and outcomes of 101 current and past Earthwatch-supported projects throughout the world.  These Case Studies showcase the spectacular work of our Principal Investigators, and are targeted at a high school aged audience.

Nominate a student

Every year, hundreds of talented high school and college students contribute their time, experience, and energy as Earthwatch volunteers. Student volunteers step beyond the classroom and become personally involved in field research. They work with leading scientists and gain first-hand experience in data collection techniques.