Alverno College Home
    • Faculty Experts
    • News/Blog
    • Alverno Magazine
  • Athletics
  • Visit
  • Events
  • Alumnae
  • Give
    • Academics
      • Majors and Programs List
      • Undergraduate Programs
      • Graduate Programs
      • Adult Learning & Degree Completion
      • Transfer Students
      • International Students
    • Tuition & Aid
      • Tuition
      • Financial Aid
      • Scholarships
    • Admissions
      • Visit
      • Meet an Admissions Counselor
    • Support & Career
      • Center for Academic Excellence
      • Internships
    • Only at Alverno
      • Research Center for Women and Girls
      • Thea Bowman Institute for Excellence and Leadership
    • Registration
      • Office of the Registrar
      • Register for Classes
      • Catalogs & Policies
  • Visit Us

    The best way to know if Alverno is right for you is to come visit!

    • About Alverno
      • About
      • A Hispanic-Serving Institution
      • First-Generation College Students
      • Where All Belong
      • Alverno's President
    • Campus
      • Events
      • Campus Life
      • Residence Life
      • Dining Services
      • Student Engagement
      • Greenhouse
      • Campus Ministry
      • Campus Safety
    • Store
      • A-Store (Alverno Gear)
    • Academic
      • Academic Advising
      • Career Studio
      • Center for Learning and Assessment Support
      • Library/Archives
      • Student Development and Success
      • Study Abroad
    • Technology
      • Media Hub
      • Tech Services
    • Registration
      • Office of the Registrar
      • Register for Classes
    • Accounts
      • Student Accounts
      • Financial Aid
    • Health & Safety
      • Wellness
      • Campus Safety
    • Additional Resources
      • Resources for Parents
      • All Student Resources
      • Internal Event Brand Guide
    • 8 Abilities
    • Instructional and Assessment Services
    • Volunteer Assessor Program
    • Assessment Workshops and Consulting
    • Give
    • Donor Roll
Request Info
Apply
  • Academics & Admission
    • Academics
      • Majors and Programs List
      • Undergraduate Programs
      • Graduate Programs
      • Adult Learning & Degree Completion
      • Transfer Students
      • International Students
    • Tuition & Aid
      • Tuition
      • Financial Aid
      • Scholarships
    • Admissions
      • Visit
      • Meet an Admissions Counselor
    • Support & Career
      • Center for Academic Excellence
      • Internships
    • Only at Alverno
      • Research Center for Women and Girls
      • Thea Bowman Institute for Excellence and Leadership
    • Registration
      • Office of the Registrar
      • Register for Classes
      • Catalogs & Policies
  • Campus
    • Visit Us
    • About Alverno
      • About
      • A Hispanic-Serving Institution
      • First-Generation College Students
      • Where All Belong
      • Alverno's President
    • Campus
      • Events
      • Campus Life
      • Residence Life
      • Dining Services
      • Student Activities
      • Greenhouse
      • Campus Ministry
      • Campus Safety
    • Store
      • A-Store (Alverno Gear)
  • Resources
    • Academic
      • Academic Advising
      • Career Studio
      • Instructional Services
      • Library
      • Student Development and Success
      • Study Abroad
    • Technology
      • Media Hub
      • Tech Services
    • Registration
      • Office of the Registrar
      • Register for Classes
    • Accounts
      • Student Accounts
      • Financial Aid
    • Health & Safety
      • Wellness
      • Campus Safety
    • Additional Resources
      • Resources for Parents
      • All Student Resources
      • Internal Event Brand Guide
  • 8 Abilities
    • 8 Abilities
    • Instruction and Assessment Services
    • Volunteer Assessor Program
    • Assessment Workshops & Consuluting
  • Igniters
    • Give
    • Donor Roll
  • Alverno News
    • Faculty Experts
    • News/Blog
    • A Magazine
  • Apply
  • Request Info
  • Athletics
  • Visit
  • Events
  • Alumnae
  • Give

Arctic Expedition

Teacher Julie (Jorgensen) Theim '09 is redefining art classes at Rolling Hills Elementary in Mukwonago, Wis., by integrating other subjects such as geography.

“One of my students said, ‘I didn't know we could talk about maps in art class,'” she says.

This school year, her students will learn even more about geography as Theim incorporates her summer travels throughout the Arctic into her lesson plan. She traveled there as one of 40 educators chosen for the Grosvenor Teacher Fellow Program. The goal of the highly competitive program, which is sponsored by the National Geographic Society and Lindblad Expeditions, is to increase geographic literacy in the classroom by giving teachers experiences they can share with their students. Educators in the program travel aboard Lindblad's ships.

For her, the expedition was like her education at Alverno: learning about the real world via hands-on experience. During the last school year, Theim says her class focused on developing global perspectives by looking at cultures, places and wildlife on a broader scale.

“Through this understanding, students are using their problem-solving skills in how to create and share their artwork with others and what it means to them,” says Theim, who majored in Art Education and Art Therapy at Alverno. “When students value their own work and learn how to share their work with meaning, they become positive communicators who are creating work for change and positive messages versus cookie-cutter art pieces.”

Theim left the United States on May 30 to begin her 11-day expedition. After a brief stop in Oslo, Norway, she traveled to Longyearbyen, Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, to board Lindblad's National Geographic Explorer ship. As the ship circumnavigated Svalbard, Theim kayaked and hiked in the Artic.

She also learned from experts aboard the ship. One evening, while listening to a polar bear expert, there was an announcement that the ship was nearing a polar bear. She was among the first passengers on the deck. The polar bear captivated her audience for 20 minutes before walking away, Theim says. “It was pure magic.”

Theim used her photography skills to capture photos of the bear and other moments. She started taking pictures in high school using a darkroom with real film, she says. For this trip, she used a 360-degree camera that will allow her to create a virtual reality film for her students, who range from kindergartners to sixth graders.

“It's a whole new way to learn,” she says.

Photography by Julie Theim.

Published on August 30, 2018 | Categories: 2016-21 Magazine archive

Apply Today

Ready for what's next

  • REQUEST MORE INFO

  • Apply Now

  • EXPLORE PROGRAMS

Alverno College

3400 S. 43rd St.
Milwaukee, WI 53219
414-382-6000
admissions@alverno.edu

  • Campus Map
  • Mesa Campus
  • Contact Us
  • Employment at Alverno
  • Event Spaces
  • Faculty Directory
  • Trustees
  • Early Learning Center
  • Privacy Policy
  • Faculty & Staff Intranet
  • Accreditation
  • Learning Outcomes
  • Harassment/Discrimination Policy
  • Web Accessibility Statement
  • Institutional Review Board

© Alverno College, All Rights Reserved