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Berthoud High Teacher Wins Travel Grant to Galapagos
Sally Tinker to visit islands that inspired Darwin's theory of evolution
Published on Mar. 2, 2026
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Sally Tinker, a science teacher at Berthoud High School in Colorado, has been awarded the Thompson Education Foundation's Window on the World (WOW) Grant. The grant will fund Tinker's trip to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands this summer, where she plans to explore the native species that were crucial to Charles Darwin's development of the theory of evolution.
Why it matters
Tinker's trip to the Galapagos will provide her with firsthand experiences to share with her students when teaching about evolution and Darwin's groundbreaking work. The grant program aims to reward excellent teachers and give them opportunities to enrich their understanding of the topics they teach.
The details
Tinker, who teaches science at Berthoud High School, was selected as the recipient of the WOW Grant, which is funded by the Hiatt Family Fund of the NoCo Foundation. The grant will allow Tinker to travel to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, where she plans to explore the native species that were crucial to Charles Darwin's formulation of the theory of evolution. Tinker hopes that her personal experiences in the Galapagos will enhance her enthusiasm for the subject and make her lessons more engaging for her students.
- Tinker will travel to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands this summer.
The players
Sally Tinker
A science teacher at Berthoud High School in Colorado who has been awarded the Thompson Education Foundation's Window on the World (WOW) Grant to travel to the Galapagos Islands.
Thompson Education Foundation
The organization that awards the Window on the World (WOW) Grant, which provides travel stipends to enable teachers to explore distant parts of the globe and bring back insights to their students and colleagues.
Hiatt Family Fund of the NoCo Foundation
The fund that provides the funding for the WOW Grant program, with the goal of honoring and rewarding excellent teachers.
What they’re saying
“If the kids see how excited I am about sharing my personal experiences, they're more likely to be more engaged. Bringing the lessons that I already teach to life a little bit.”
— Sally Tinker, Berthoud High School science teacher (reporterherald.com)
“The whole point is that they're doing something they want to do. In this particular case, it was a place she wanted to go, but it also makes so much sense given the type of teacher she is. So I think that resonated with the interview team.”
— Kim Akeley-Charon, TEF Executive Director (reporterherald.com)
What’s next
Tinker plans to use her experiences in the Galapagos Islands to enhance her teaching of evolution and inspire greater engagement from her students.
The takeaway
The WOW Grant program provides valuable opportunities for dedicated teachers like Sally Tinker to deepen their understanding of the subjects they teach, ultimately benefiting their students and the broader community.
