Starting at humankind’s birthplace in Ethiopia and ending at the southern tip of South America, National Geographic Fellow Paul Salopek is walking 21,000 miles for the next 7 years. His journey is called Out of Eden Walk, and you and your students can chat LIVE with Paul, who will be in Jordan, on Friday December 6, 2013 at 1 p.m. ET (6 p.m. UTC).
Joining Paul on our first ever virtual field trip, are journalist Ali al Harbi, who walked by Paul’s side through Saudi Arabia; two enthusiastic classrooms; and YOU. Join the live video conversation to hear from the man retracing 60,000 years of human migration and help your students discover the world from their classroom.
How you can get involved:
We encourage you and your students to ask Paul and his trekking partners questions about his journey by posting them on social media with #edenwalktalk or commenting directly on this blog post. And don’t miss these Out of Eden free online education materials.
Meet the Man Behind the Out of Eden Walk
Paul, featured on the cover of National Geographic Magazine’s December issue, crossed his first border at age six when his family moved to central Mexico, but has many more ahead of him—and this time, he’ll be crossing them on foot. Last January, Paul began recreating our forbears’ epic journey, which he is scheduled to complete in 2020. Along the way he is engaging with the major stories of our time—technological innovation, mass migration, and cultural survival. Moving at the slow beat of his footsteps, Paul is also seeking the quieter, hidden stories of people who rarely make the news.
How far would YOU walk to discover the stories that highlight a central truth of our humanity in this globalized age? RSVP today!
National Geographic and the Knight Foundation are funding the Out of Eden Walk’s fieldwork and journalism. The walk’s educational mission is also supported by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting and Project Zero at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
This is a great use of technology that captures the essence of actually being there!
Just finished reading NatGeo story. The writing captured my soul, I laughed and cried and thirst for what is to unfold. I salute Paul. He lifts my spirit beyond what passes for the daily news and gives me hope. I have long believed that it is the journey that sustains us and perhaps gives light to the chaotic world events that stream into our lives in endless soundbites.