Where in the world

is … Jeff Bravman?

Teacher to join

‘Today’ host Matt Lauer at undisclosed location

BY JOLENE HART

Staff Writer

EAST BRUNSWICK — Jeff Bravman’s bags are packed and he couldn’t be more ready to travel. He just has no idea where he’s going.

Bravman, an East Brunswick resident and fourth-grade teacher at Robert Frost Elementary School, expected to depart today to join NBC "Today" anchor Matt Lauer on Friday at the final destination of the weeklong news tour "Where in the World Is Matt Lauer?" But the destination remains unknown.

In January, Bravman entered the "Today" show’s monthlong search for a viewer who would accompany Lauer on the final day of his secretive tour, now in its sixth year.

After correctly completing an online quiz about Lauer’s previous travels in the segment, Bravman composed a 100-word essay relating why he should be chosen for the trip.

Bravman, a math, science and social studies teacher, gave quite a compelling story.

Since its inception, Bravman, 40, has used the "Where in the World Is Matt Lauer?" segment in his classes, involving the broadcast in his fourth-grade students’ school lessons.

Bravman convinced his students to watch the "Today" program each morning during the week and learn about the daily destination.

"Getting them out of bed to watch the show was a little tough," Bravman admitted.

His students have used Lauer’s destinations to calculate latitude and longitude, air distance between sites, climate and currency conversions. The students locate the site’s continent and hemisphere and talk about culture and language, Bravman said. A map detailing Lauer’s previous treks hangs in Bravman’s classroom. This year, his students are even keeping a journal of the travels.

"It would be the teaching experience of a lifetime," Bravman explained in the essay.

Bravman was contacted by the show’s officials several times as the number of submissions were narrowed, but it was not until late last week that he received a call informing him that he had been eliminated from consideration.

"Today" producer Margaret Pergler told Bravman he was not the winner, though she asked that he be the one to announce the official winner of the contest with his students.

"She said, ‘Do you want the good news or the bad news?’ and I thought it was nice for the class," Bravman said of his reaction to Pergler’s offer.

On Feb. 6, Bravman and his students gathered in the office of the East Brunswick School District to make the announcement on live television.

"I said, ‘Guys, what if I can’t pronounce this name?’ " said Bravman, recalling his concerns in the minutes before he announced the contest winner. He opened the envelope and pulled out a name that was quite familiar — his own.

Bravman was told that he had been chosen from more than 5,200 candidates, but he knows little else about his imminent travels.

"They told me to pack two suitcases — one for hot weather, one for cold weather," Bravman said. "I’m in the dark. But it’s gotta be someplace that people will want to go to."

Bravman’s wife, Sylvia, will accompany him on the trip. The couple’s two children, a 9-year-old boy and a 3-year-old girl, will be cared for by their grandparents.

"Where in the World Is Matt Lauer?" has taken the anchor to sites such as Machu Picchu in Peru, Victoria Falls in Africa, the Great Wall of China, and the Amazon jungle. The most recent installments of Lauer’s series have brought him to Botswana, Switzerland and Hong Kong.

Bravman said he hoped the final destination would be Antarctica, though he felt it unlikely.

"Out of the 25 destinations, 11 have been in Europe," Bravman said.

He has made numerous calculations regarding the sites chosen in the past, enough to make "Today" producers a bit surprised.

"I told them that I’m a teacher, we like to have things scheduled, we like our lesson plans," Bravman said, "but they wouldn’t tell me anything."

Bravman will appear live on the "Today" broadcast at 7 a.m. tomorrow, filmed from his mysterious destination.