Support Geography and GIS in K-12 Education: Be a GeoMentor

The AAG and Esri are working together to develop a nationwide network of GeoMentors to support the U.S. Department of Education’s ConnectED Program, for which Esri has agreed to donate free GIS software to all K-12 schools in the U.S.  GeoMentors will play a pivotal role in improving GIS and geography education by helping schools and teachers introduce GIS and geographic concepts into classrooms across the country!  The GeoMentors program is a great opportunity for geography students to participate in community service using their disciplinary knowledge and GIS skills (program certificates are provided so participants can document their efforts).  We ask that you please share this email with your group members to let them know about this outreach opportunity.

Who can be a GeoMentor?
From undergraduate and graduate students to professors and geographic information scientists, we welcome the entire GIS and geography community to volunteer their skills and experience as GeoMentors.  Advanced GIS skills are not required for you to be a great asset to K-12 classrooms and we provide numerous training materials through our program website.

What do GeoMentors do?
As a GeoMentor you can engage in a range of roles depending on your expertise, interests, and the needs of schools and teachers.  Opportunities include: advocating GIS adoption and helping schools get their free software; demonstrating available geography and GIS classroom exercises to teachers; sharing information about careers in geography and GIS; or assisting teachers with tailoring geography and GIS activities for their specific subject, grade, and/or project.  You can work with your local community schools or with schools and educators across the US.  The variety of outreach opportunities is as diverse as the field of geography and the application potential of GIS!

How do I get started as a GeoMentor?

1.     Register.  Sign up online to be a GeoMentor!

2.     Visit our website.  Learn more about the program, explore available training materials, and review guidelines for contacting potential collaborators.

3.     Get involved.  Find a school or teacher who is ready to collaborate!  Another great starting point is to help build the GeoMentor community by recruiting your peers as fellow GeoMentors and by recruiting new schools to sign up for free GIS software.

4.     Join the GeoMentor community.  Learn about program news, participate in discussions, and meet fellow participants by joining the GeoMentors GeoNet Group or the GeoMentors AAG Knowledge Community.  You can also follow @AAGGeoMentors on Twitter or the AAG GeoMentors Facebook page.

Be sure to share your GeoMentor experiences with us so we can track and improve program efforts.

We’ll provide you a program certificate for your records and may create a case study from your experience to help encourage others to get involved in the GeoMentors program!  This is a great activity and service opportunity for student geography groups!

If you have any questions, please contact program staff at geomentors@aag.org.

Thank you for your help in promoting geography and GIS in K-12 education,

The AAG GeoMentors Team

Association of American Geographers
1710 Sixteenth Street NW
Washington, DC 20009-3198
www.geomentors.net
geomentors@aag.org
Twitter: @AAGGeoMentors