Education Empowers: Tara Roberts
For nearly 13 years, Cengage Group and the National Geographic Society have proudly partnered in the market as National Geographic Learning – bringing the world to the classroom and the classroom to life for tens of millions of learners around the world each year.
In our Secondary business, having access to the insights, experiences and imagery of more than 600 National Geographic Explorers – the global changemakers, scientists, educators and storytellers funded through the National Geographic Society – has engaged K-12 students in the US and around the world in learning, allowing them to see themselves in our culturally inclusive content.
Tara Roberts is one of these explorers. She grew up surrounded by stories—tales of adventure, fantasy, and exploration that sparked her imagination and shaped her worldview. Raised by an educator, she developed a deep appreciation for learning and storytelling early on, which ultimately led her to a career that blends both: uncovering history and sharing it with the world.
Her work as a writer, storyteller and National Geographic Explorer focuses on tracing the origins of Africans in America. She made history herself as the first Black woman Explorer to be featured on the cover of National Geographic Magazine, with her story reaching over 26 million people.
But Tara doesn’t just tell stories, she lives them. Partnering with Diving With a Purpose, a team of Black scuba divers, she explores shipwrecks that once carried enslaved Africans across the Atlantic. Through this hands-on work, Tara brings history to life and helps educators and students connect with the past in a powerful, tangible way. Her mission is to inspire the next generation of explorers to see history not just as something to learn, but something to experience.
Pursuing a Career in Exploration
Tara’s foundation in storytelling stems from her mother’s profession as a reading teacher. As a child, she fondly remembers her mother attending national reading conferences and returning home with boxes of books. Her favorites were stories of fantasy and adventure.
Those early experiences planted a seed. Tara didn’t just want to read about adventures; she wanted to live them. Through her work, she hopes to inspire future generations to continue exploring, learning and bringing real world experiences to education curriculums. Just as her childhood books opened up new worlds, she wants others to discover the power of curiosity and the joy of adventure.
Bringing History to Life
Although some children might describe history as boring or irrelevant, Tara sees it in a completely different light. To her, history is alive. Her work and mission centers around tangible experiences of touching and physically witnessing history at the ground, or sea, level.
Whether walking the same paths as those who came before, or swimming along the decks of historic ships, Tara’s exploration brings history to life. Her hope is to see more K-12 teachers implement experiential learning to inspire future students to reexamine the way they see history into something meaningful and real.
Curiosity as a Career Compass
Over the years, Tara has worn many hats. She has been a diver, an editor, a non-profit founder and a National Geographic Explorer. Each role has been different, yet all have been connected by a common thread: a deep sense of curiosity and a passion for discovery. Just as history can be explored through many different lenses, so can a person’s professional journey.
Tara encourages others, especially educators and their students, to embrace this mindset. She believes that curiosity should be the compass guiding us through life’s twists and turns. In the end, it’s not about having all the answers. It’s about asking the right questions and being open to where they might take you.
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