The AAG’s proposal for a new Advanced Placement course in Geographic Information Science and Technology (AP GIS&T) continues to receive strong interest from high schools, colleges, and universities across the U.S.

To complete the proposal package for the College Board, the AAG needs to collect attestations of interest from at least 100 postsecondary institutions and 250 high schools. AAG members can lend their support to this effort in two important ways.

First, department chairs can add their program to the list of AP GIS&T supporters by completing an attestation at www.apgist.org.

As of November 1, AAG has received signed attestations from 93 departments, a number that includes dozens of major research universities and members of the University Consortium for Geographic Information Science. The attestation process provides evidence that the academic community views the proposed AP course to be equivalent to college-level instruction and that departments will consider offering credit to students who demonstrate proficiency on the AP exam.

The AAG especially needs additional attestations from undergraduate geography and GIS programs affiliated with institutions that rank among the College Board’s list of Top 200 AP-score receiving colleges and universities. Department chairs from these institutions are encouraged to express their interest in AP GIS&T by submitting an attestation for their program.

Second, the AAG invites all members to share the AP GIS&T proposal with high schools in their local community. So far 86 high schools have registered their interest in the AP GIS&T course.

With Geography Awareness Week and GIS Day celebrations just two weeks away, now is a great time to reach out to high schools and encourage them to register their interest in AP GIS&T. Schools that currently teach AP Human Geography, participate in the ConnectED program, or offer other GIS coursework are especially likely to benefit from the synergies created by the AP GIS&T course. AAG members are welcome to email or print this flyer summarizing the content and benefits of AP GIS&T for high schools.

Questions about the AP GIS&T proposal and attestation process may be sent to Dr. Michael Solem, AAG Deputy Director for Research and Education, at msolem [at] aag [dot] org.