Calgary teacher on an Antarctic expedition

A Calgary teacher is embarking on the trip of a lifetime to one of the coldest places on the planet.

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Tyler Dixon, Grade 5 to 9 teacher at West Ridge School is part of a team of 34 other educators on a Lindblad Expeditions/National Geographic voyage to Antarctica, leaving Tuesday.

It's part of the Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship, which will see the teachers spend over a week on board the research ship called the National Geographic Resolution.

"We're there to learn about Antarctica, that area of the world, history, geography, wildlife, climate, all of that kind of stuff," he said.

"The goal is to bring that back to our classrooms and relate it to our students and the things that we see, maybe that are similar in this part of the world or wherever we're from."

Learning experience and an exploration

Dixon says while he and the other teachers are there to observe, there are a wide variety of scientists on board conducting many different projects.

"We've got wildlife professionals, we've got oceanographers, we've got geographers and historians," he said.

"I just got an email this week saying that there's going to be a scientist on board doing a study on plankton so we'll get some interaction with them and, there's somebody on board that operates an underwater sub video, so we'll get to see and watch that and learn from them, there's a whole bunch of stuff happening and we get to be a part of all of it."

Since 2006, 400 total educators have been selected to join the Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship and offered the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to embark on an educational expedition named in honor of Gilbert M. Grosvenor.

Grosnevor, chairman emeritus of the National Geographic Society, worked for decades to support pre-K–12 teachers and promote geographic education across the United States and Canada.

"We are proud to honor this year's Grosvenor Teacher Fellows as they prepare to embark on their global expeditions," said the National Geographic Society's chief education officer Deborah Grayson in the release.

"These hardworking and passionate educators will have the opportunity to bring enriching, real-world experiences back to their classrooms as engaging resources and tools for their students — the next generation of planetary stewards."

An iceberg floats near at Bransfield Strait shore, Antarctica, Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2023. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)

Fourth time's the charm

Dixon applied to be part of the adventure three times before and Christine, his wife said timing for the initial application wasn't good.

"The first time he mentioned it, we had newborn triplets and he said that he was going to apply and asked for permission," she said.

"When he brought it up and he described the trip, I wasn't thrilled about the idea when the babies were that young, but it was a once in a lifetime, so gave him the green light to apply."

Dixon wasn't accepted that time, nor his second or third.

Christine said they were told about the acceptance of his fourth application in January, but couldn't tell anyone until April.

She said he had a lot of preparations to be gone from class for that long.

"Getting time off work, there was a lot of paperwork and process that he had to go through and just the application process for the trip itself," she said.

"There was a lot – making sure insurance was in order and work is in order and (substitute teachers) are in order so there was lots to do for him."

Christine said she does all of the family trip planning because her husband is so laid back when it comes to travel. She's glad he doesn't have to worry about hotel bookings and car rentals on this trip.

"He will be very fine on his own, I'm much more stressed when we travel so I need to plan, whereas he doesn't need the plan," she said.

"So, he'll be fine wherever he goes, he'll get to experience some pretty neat things without the stress behind it I think."

Dixon's oldest son, seven-year-old Cooper, said his dad is going to see a lot of penguins and icebergs on the trip and says he'll have to bring warm clothes.

"He said he needs snow pants but they're on the boat and a jacket is on the boat," said Cooper.

"So he's going to need those, but they're on the boat so he doesn't have to pack the big stuff."

Classroom without walls

Dixon says his biggest philosophy with teaching is he loves getting kids outside and his my favorite classrooms don't have any walls.

And to make the trip even more appealing, Lindblad and National Geographic are handling the financial piece of the expedition.

"It's a pretty prestigious honor to have that Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship title," he said.

"I'm a little bit nervous about this ship because the Drake Passage (is rough), I get seasick so I'm a little worried about it to be honest with you but that adventure piece and then linking the natural world to education and to adventure is a big deal.

"I'm looking forward to doing that and then bringing that aspect back and incorporating it into my classroom."

In this handout photo provided by the British Antarctic Survey, a view of the A23a iceberg is seen from the RRS Sir David Attenborough, Antarctica, Friday, Dec. 1, 2023. (T. Gossman, M. Gascoyne, C. Grey/British Antarctic Survey via AP)

On Nov. 19, Dixon flies from Calgary to Dallas, then to Santiago, Chile, where he'll meet up with most of the other teachers accepted for the trip.

Then they'll take a charter flight to the southern tip of Argentina and board the expedition ship for the trip further south.

He'll be back home on Dec. 2.

Learn more about the Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship here.