LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Hawthorne Elementary School teacher, Ashleigh Glickley, is traveling to Johnston Atoll in August, which is about 700 nautical miles or 805 miles southwest of Hawaii. 

“One thing we know as educators is that we need to bring the outside world into our world as much as possible. Our students aren’t just existing in our classroom walls, they need to be exposed to things that are outside and be involved,” Glickley said. 

While Glickley is on board the E/V Nautilus research vessel, she will be studying unexplored areas of the south Pacific Ocean, which scientists have not seen before. She will specifically look for unidentified coral species and other ocean biology.

Experiences like this provide enriching education to the students. The Spanish-immersion school is committed to expanding the classroom walls. 

“As we were doing that, we started to notice that our students were bringing a more global perspective into the classroom. So there were a lot of questions about what was happening in other parts of the world.”

This won’t be the first time Glickley has done a project like this. 

Last year, she studied how World War II vehicles in the Pacific Ocean have changed overtime and the effects on the surrounding coral reefs. 

The students were able to get a feel for the work Glickley was doing. 

They used virtual reality headsets to immerse themselves underwater and experience a bit of what the divers were seeing. 

This year, the students will also get to learn alongside Glickley. 

“I’ll be able to say, ‘Hey, guess what?, about thirty minutes ago we just identified a new species of coral in the deep sea.’ So all of my students will be able to engage in activities and lessons that are based on the ocean and how we can protect it,” Glickley said. 

Glickley will begin her expedition Aug. 2. She is one of 16 people chosen as a science communication fellow.