Geography Awareness Week is quickly approaching, November 10th – 16th, with GIS Day on November 13th. Below you’ll find GeoWeek and GIS Day resources, announcements, and ways to get involved, big and small. Do what you can to promote our wonderful discipline during the week, and also think about how you can support geography year-round!

 

Starting Point: Check out National Geographic’s Geography Awareness Week page to learn the history and mission of the week and discover materials for hosting your own event.

 

Geography.com: Ever need a resource to share with others for a quick intro to geography? Geography.com is designed for students and the general public to learn more about the field and all it has to offer. Share this site to spread the word! Improving geography awareness can be as simple as a conversation with a friend. We challenge you to talk to one person in your social circle about what you study and what you do. They will get to know both you and our discipline better!

 

Geography Career Materials for High School Counselors: As part of our ongoing efforts to tell students about opportunities in geography, the AAG is mailing career information packets to high school guidance counselors! Want us to share career info with schools in your area? Get contact info for high schools in your area and we’ll send career packets to counselors and teachers about opportunities in geography that they can use with students! Request here or share this sign up with others: https://bit.ly/GeoCareerPacket

 

Free GIS Software for K-12 Schools and Youth Groups: Did you know that K-12 schools and youth groups WORLDWIDE are eligible for free ArcGIS software? They can simply sign up online! Share this news with schools in your area and teachers you know. Help students engage with GIS at an early age!

 

GISDay.com: Find local events or add your event to the online map, download GIS Day promotional items, share GIS Day videos, and find hands-on exercises at gisday.com. Also check out the GIS Day in the Classroom Implementation Guide! It’s designed for both volunteers and teachers, so use this for your own outreach efforts and/or share this with people you know in the K-12 community.

 

GeoReads: What’s your favorite geography-related book that you would suggest to students and non-geographers? Spread geographic literacy one book at a time by donating your favorite geo book to a local school, public library, or local little free library to help others discover our discipline!

 

Geographer Profiles: Need another great resource to share with students, friends, and others to help them learn about our field and what it has to offer? Check out our Profiles of Geographers which highlight the wide variety of interesting work we do.

 

Be a GeoMentor: If you don’t have time to get involved in GeoWeek, set yourself up to be involved later by signing up to be a GeoMentor. Help young students discover geography and spatial thinking to better understand the world around them. You can sign up online and check out some of the great work of our volunteers across the country in our case study collection.

 

Guide to Geography Programs: Many students don’t discover geography until undergrad (or even later). To support GeoWeek, consider sharing the AAG’s Guide to Geography Programs in the Americas with high school students and guidance counselors to help students discover our discipline sooner! Available as a PDF and online map.

 

Ask a Geographer: A great way to support geography awareness is to tell people about the AAG’s Ask a Geographer program. AAG members are available to answer questions in 50+ areas of geography. Share this resource and/or volunteer to be part of it!

 

Donate. Help secure the importance of geography and the work of geographers in understanding our world. Consider donating to the AAG to support the next generation of geographers. Choose among different programs to support student travel, dissertation grants, diversity initiatives, and more.

How are you celebrating or participating in GeoWeek? Reach out to us on Twitter @theAAG and let us know!