Geography majors and Friends of Geography

Important legislation to help fund Geography education is moving forward through Congress, but help from Geography educators in Oklahoma and around the United States is needed to make a final push. Reintroduced in March 2011 for the 112th Congress, House Resolution 885 and Senate Bill 434, "Teaching Geography is Fundamental," seeks to improve and expand geographic literacy among kindergarten through grade 12 students by improving professional development programs for K-12 teachers offered through institutions of higher education. Up to $15 million dollars per year for the next 5 years is being requested to fund this vital educational initiative. The goal of this public campaign is simple - to send 10,000 letters to Congress in support of the bipartisan Teaching Geography is Fundamental (TGIF) Act by November 18, 2011. This date marks the ending of Geography Awareness Week 2011 and the last day of the Congressional session before the Thanksgiving recess.



Use the link below to quickly send pre-formatted letters to your elected representatives. It takes about 2 minutes of your time. I think we can all agree that geographic awareness is key to successfully navigating our complex and interrelated world.


http://speakupforgeography.rallycongress.com/4342/teaching-geography-is-%20fundamental-act/

Shared by Robin Wilson and 74 more in GIS

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Free GIS Datasets - New categorised list available
I've published a list of free GIS datasets (see link below). Some of these are datasets that I've used, and some are ones that I've found on the internet through various searches. They are categorised and split into global datasets and individual country datasets.If anyone knows of any other datasets that they think should be added to the list then please contact me using the details on the site, and I'll add them.Cheers,Robin

Watch the short video Community Maps Program Overview and get more details and hear about the benefits of joining the program. For a complete explanation of the program and to hear how the city of Charlotte, North Carolina benefits from being a Community Maps contributor, watch the Community Maps Webinar.

Improve Access to GIS
The Extend the Reach of Your GIS seminar teaches GIS professionals how to expand the access to their authoritative maps and geospatial information. Esri staff will present practical applications and demonstrations that reflect common workflows.
This seminar will help you:
· Identify the expanding audience for the geographic knowledge you create.
· Meet the increased demand for maps by your organization's stakeholders.
· Share your work with anyone on virtually any device.
Seminars in Austin and Houston Coming Up!