Commemorating and Learning from the 250th Anniversary of the Anza Expedition of 1775-76 Webinar Series
2026-03-25 19:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York) | Webinar
Overview
Join the California Geographic Alliance and the National Park Services as they commemorate the 250th Anniversary of the Anza Expedition of 1775-76 with this professional learning series featuring geographic and global perspectives on history.
SESSION 3 (ARRIVING): MARCH 25, 2026, 4:00-5:30 pm (PT)/7:00 – 8:30 pm (ET)
Legacies of the Expedition and the Making of Place in California, 1776 to 2026. What are the outcomes of the Anza Expedition? A settlement called Yerba Buena, a settler population that develops its own cultural and political identities, a sequence of transitions in control of the territory resulting in California’s incorporation into the United States. The people and the trail they followed continue to be relevant in many ways.
Audience Focus
For educators and students in Grades 4 and higher. Special relevance to 5th, 8th, and Ethnic Studies, but all are welcome to join.
How to Join
Pre-registration is required. Find out more and register here

MapMaker - A Two-Part Series
2026-04-01 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Webinar
Overview
Join us for Part II of this two-part webinar series that will highlight the steps needed to get started using MapMaker in your classroom and for your students. You will be able to follow along with the webinars to create an activity you can use in your classroom. Both parts of the webinar will be recorded for you to review. You do not need a log in to use MapMaker. The pace will allow you to ask questions along the way as you create along with us.
Audience Focus
All grade levels
Meet the Presenter
Tom Baker is an education outreach manager at Esri, Inc., where he develops, manages, and assesses a wide range of educational projects. Hi portfolio includes curriculum design and evaluation, educational marketing, technical development, educational research, and teacher training. His work spans higher education, K12, and informal. He has a great interest in universal design and learning for all.

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The AP Exam - Tips and Tricks to Prepare Students
2026-04-15 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Webinar
Overview
In partnership with College Board, this webinar will provide strategies and ideas to help prepare your students for the AP exam. There will be McQ strategies, review of the FRQ task verbs and an overview of the exam itself.
Audience Focus
APHG
Meet the Presenter
Debra Coram Troxell is a National Board Certified Teacher from Winston-Salem, NC. She teaches AP Human Geography and International Relations at West Forsyth High School. Debra is an AP Human Geography exam reader, an AP PBL Consultant, and serves on the editorial board of The Geography Teacher journal. Jeanne

Jeanne Shin-Cooper has been a public high school educator for twenty years. Over the course of her career, she has taught multiple disciplines in the social sciences in addition to work within the field of EL. She is currently a consultant and exam reader for AP Human Geography and is a National Board Certified Teacher. She received her Masters in Education and Social Policy at Northwestern University and her Masters in Geography through the EDGE Program at University of Oregon. Currently, she serves on the Educator Advisory Committee for Harvard’s Religion and Public Life in conjunction with teaching College World Religions Dual Credit. Most recently, she was invited as a keynote speaker for Harvard University’s Global Studies Outreach Workshop.
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GeoCircle: Ripped from the Headlines - Bringing Current Events into the Geography Classroom
2026-04-21 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Webinar
Overview
Join us for an organic discussion and resource sharing about teaching Current Events in our classrooms. We all know that daily events can end up in our discussion as soon as they happen. What tools do you use? Do you wait to prepare for the conversation? How do you structure the discussions? Bring all this and join the conversation!
The Facilitator
Jane Highley is a middle and high school social studies teacher at Devon Preparatory School in Devon, Pennsylvania where she teaches AP U.S. Government, AP Human Geography, AP Comparative Government, and 8th Grade Civics & Citizenship. She is the 2024 winner of the Jack Miller Center K-12 Teaching Excellence Award, which is awarded to an educator who demonstrates an exceptional ability to engage students in the story of America through their teaching. She is also a Distinguished Ambassador for CFR’s High School Teacher Ambassador Program, in which Jane has actively participated for the past two years. Most recently, Jane has been approved as a teacher-consultant for the AP Summer Institute in Human Geography. She earned degrees from the University of California, the University of Pennsylvania, and La Salle University. She is a 2017 recipient of the James Madison Memorial Fellowship and a 2025 recipient of the Discover Korea Research Fellowship.
Kyle Tredinnick is a classroom Geography teacher and Adjunct Professor in Omaha Nebraska. He is an NCGE Board Member and a CFR Teacher Ambassador.

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Esri StoryMaps - Part I
2026-04-22 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Webinar
Overview
ArcGIS StoryMaps have emerged as one of the most powerful and popular classroom tools from Esri in K12 education. Join us for this new, two-part series as we help you find, use, and then create StoryMaps. The first, hands-on webinar will focus on finding and using existing (or pre-built) StoryMaps to enhance your curriculum – across subject areas and grade bands. We’ll also show you how to quickly setup a free public account as we set the stage for creating your own StoryMaps.
Audience Focus
All grade levels
Meet the Presenter
Tom Baker is an education outreach manager at Esri, Inc., where he develops, manages, and assesses a wide range of educational projects. Hi portfolio includes curriculum design and evaluation, educational marketing, technical development, educational research, and teacher training. His work spans higher education, K12, and informal. He has a great interest in universal design and learning for all.

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Esri StoryMaps - Part II
2026-04-29 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Webinar
Overview
ArcGIS StoryMaps have emerged as one of the most powerful and popular classroom tools from Esri in K12 education. Join us for the second part of this two-part series as we help you find, use, and then create StoryMaps.
Part-two of this hands-on StoryMap webinar series focuses on creating your own StoryMaps and sharing them with students. This session will include an overview of most of the tools available to StoryMap creators – and time to practice during the webinar.
Audience Focus
All grade levels
Meet the Presenter
Tom Baker is an education outreach manager at Esri, Inc., where he develops, manages, and assesses a wide range of educational projects. Hi portfolio includes curriculum design and evaluation, educational marketing, technical development, educational research, and teacher training. His work spans higher education, K12, and informal. He has a great interest in universal design and learning for all.

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A Taste of JAHM: The Jewish American Experience
2026-05-13 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Webinar
Overview
Join us as we celebrate 20 years of Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM)!
That’s right! It’s been 2 decades since President George W. Bush announced that May 2006 would be considered Jewish American Heritage Month. A month dedicated to celebrating the peoplehood, history, and contributions of Jewish Americans – from the perseverance shown in the face of initial hardships upon arrival to their lasting impact on everything from medicine to civil rights. Explore why heritage months foster belonging and historical accuracy. Our Jewish American history content serves as a master toolkit for discussing any complex identity. To wrap up, you receive seven “JAHM-sized” mini-lessons designed for seamless integration into your May classroom schedule.
Audience Focus
All Grade Levels
Meet the Presenter
Erika Lowery is a veteran educator with 29 years of experience and an accomplished educator with a comprehensive background in various educational capacities. Her professional journey has included instruction in middle and high school geography(all levels), supervision of secondary social studies programs, and teaching elementary social studies methods at Baylor University. Currently, she provides professional development to teachers across the southern region as an educator for the Institute for Curriculum Services. Ms. Lowery’s dedication and excellence have been recognized with several prestigious accolades, including the National Council for Geographic Education Distinguished Teaching Achievement award in 2013, her selection as the Texas Social Studies Supervisor of the Year in 2022, and her service on the 2022 World Geography TEKS revision workgroup in Texas.
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GeoCircle: Spatial Thinking IRL - Taking Your Geography Students Outside
2026-05-19 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Webinar
Overview
As spring continues and summer approaches, let’s get the students outside. Join us for a casual discussion about how to teach spatial thinking out in the field (outside) with your students. There are so many opportunities for hands-on, active learning. Whether you are a primary, middle or high school teachers there are activities for everyone! Come with ideas and questions.
The Facilitator
Joseph Kerski is a geographer with a focus on the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in education. He has served as the President of the National Council for Geographic Education and has given 2 TED Talks on “The Whys of Where”. He holds 3 degrees in geography (BA, MA, PhD) and has served as geographer in 4 major sectors of society, including government (NOAA, US Census Bureau, USGS), academia (University of Minnesota, Harrisburg Area Community College, Penn State University, Sinte Gleska University, University of Denver, others), private industry (as Education Manager for Esri), and nonprofit organizations (with roles in geography and education associations). Joseph has authored over 100 chapters and articles, and 200 podcasts on GIS, education, space, place, and related topics. He has visited over 350 schools and 400 universities around the world. He regularly conducts professional development for educators. He has created over 6,200 videos, 1,000 lessons, 1,000 blog essays, and authored 12 books, including Interpreting Our World, Spatial Thinking in Environmental Contexts, Essentials of the Environment, Spatial Mathematics, Tribal GIS, International Perspectives on Teaching and Learning, the GIS Guide to Public Domain Data, and others. But as a lifelong learner, he feels as though he’s just getting started and thus actively seeks mentors, partners, and collaborators.
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Publishing with NCGE
2026-05-21 18:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | Webinar
Overview
Have a great lesson idea or trying something new in teaching geography that you would like to share? Consider publishing with the Journal of Geography or The Geography Teacher. This webinar will focus on the process, possible topics, and advantages of publishing with NCGE.
Audience Focus
All grade levels
Meet the Presenter
Kyle Tredinnick
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APHG Happy Hour - Thinking Geographically
2026-08-13 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York)
Join us for an informal, organic discussion facilitated by APHG educators for APHG educators. Each session will focus on a participant-driven conversation about each unit where you can share your insights, seek advice, and discuss the latest trends that support the implementation of the AP Human Geography curriculum without the constraints of a formal presentation.
This session will focus on unit 1 of the APHG course. Participants will discuss the content of unit 1, teaching strategies, and how unit 1 establishes knowledge and skills used throughout the course.

Meet the Facilitators
Michael Mewborne is the director of the South Carolina Geographic Alliance. A former high school teacher, he is now a research associate at the University of South Carolina studying geography education. He has over a decade of experience teaching high school and undergraduates, serves as a reader for the APHG exam, and is the Secretary for NCGE.
Jessica Chapman is the Education Programs Manager for the South Carolina Geographic Alliance. She uses her experience as a former high school teacher to help plan and facilitate professional development workshops. Jessica is a doctoral student in geography at the University of South Carolina and a member of the Board of Directors for NCGE.
Learn more about APHG Happy Hour and Join the Discussion!

GeoCircle: The Slow Advantage - What Interactive Notebooks Can Do that Digital Can't
2026-08-18 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Webinar
Overview
Before there were chatbots to do the thinking, there were notebooks, and they’re still one of the best tools for making thinking visible. As students turn more and more to AI to generate answers, the interactive notebook asks them to slow down and make their own. This GeoCircle session explores how notebook-building keeps geographic thinking visible, personal, and screen-free when you need. Come ready to share or hear some ready-to-use ideas for your own classroom.
About the Facilitators
Courtney Phillips has taught for 14 years, most of her time spent at Freedom High School in Oakley, CA. She teaches AP Human Geography and AP World History. She loves traveling and all things Disney.
Jessica Forestiere is a high school social studies educator in Virginia with 20 years of teaching experience. She currently teaches AP Human Geography, Pre-AP World History, and Economics and Personal Finance and holds an Ed.S. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Virginia, an M.Ed. in Educational Leadership and Supervision from Old Dominion University, and a B.S. in History and Social Science from Radford University. Jessica is an AP Human Geography Reader and is passionate about geographic education, curriculum development, and creating engaging learning experiences that help students connect course content to the world around them.
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NCGE Bell Ringers: A Piece of the Instructional Puzzle
2026-08-20 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Webinar
Summary
Whether you are new or experienced to teaching APHG, attend this webinar to hear more about how the NCGE Bell Ringers can help engage your students in content and make your teaching life a little easier.
About the Presenters
Laura Kmetz has taught AP Human Geography for 12 years. She is the author of the NCGE Bell Ringers, a professional learning consultant for College Board, and a leader at the AP Reading. Laura loves engaging students in exploring our complex world and helping them discover how they can help make it a better place.

Sarah Bitel teaches AP Human Geography and English Language Arts in Harford County, Maryland. She is a National Board Certified teacher, and is going into her 17th year as an educator (with a short side quest as an instructional coach and new teacher mentor). Bitel is relatively new to AP Human Geo, however, and the NCGE materials have been great resources for her. She is a mom to a very happy and active toddler, and her family loves to camp, hike, and take little adventures together.
Diana Zapien is a high school educator in San Antonio, TX with 13 years classroom experience. Subjects taught have been AP Human Geography, World Geography, and Mexican-American Studies. Topics of interest outside of the classroom include gardening, sustainability, and traveling.
Webinar Access
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APHG Happy Hour: Unit 2 - Population and Migration Patterns and Processes
2026-09-10 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York)
Join us for an informal, organic discussion facilitated by APHG educators for APHG educators. Each session will focus on a participant-driven conversation about each unit where you can share your insights, seek advice, and discuss the latest trends that support the implementation of the AP Human Geography curriculum without the constraints of a formal presentation.
Population and migration are at the heart of human geography. In this APHG Happy Hour, we’ll explore the key concepts, models, patterns, and processes students need to understand for AP Human Geography Unit 2: Population and Migration Patterns and Processes.
Attendees will discuss how population characteristics and distributions change across space and over time, including population density, demographic transition, fertility and mortality, population pyramids, and population policies. We’ll also explore the forces that shape migration—including push and pull factors, migration patterns, barriers, refugee movements, and the impacts of migration on both sending and receiving places. The discussion will emphasize spatial thinking and geographic reasoning, helping teachers move beyond vocabulary and memorization toward meaningful analysis of maps, data, models, and real-world population and migration patterns.
Learn more about APHG Happy Hour and Join the Discussion!
About the Facilitators
Michael Robinson has been a high school social studies teacher since 1994 all in Tennessee. He has been teaching AP Human Geography at Houston High School in Germantown, Tennessee since 2006. He lives in Cordova, TN, with his wife Kelly, also a high school teacher, and their Australian Shepard, Rex.
Ember Lundy has been a teacher at West High School in Knoxville, Tennessee since 2016. She earned a bachelor’s degree in History, French, and International Studies from University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. For the past eight years, Ember has taught AP Human Geography, where she is passionate about helping students develop critical thinking skills and a deeper understanding of global issues and cultures. She enjoys collaborating with fellow educators and creating engaging, meaningful learning experiences that support student success.
Clay Francis joined the GPS humanities department in 2024 after teaching social science courses at Hutchison School in Memphis, Tennessee, for nearly a decade. For the past five years, he also served as the chair of their upper school history and social sciences department. Clay worked at the Tennessee Governor’s School for International Studies for over 15 years in various roles and led the program as the Associate Director from 2019–22. The Tennessee Geographic Alliance named him the 2015 Geography Teacher of the Year, and Clay has been a two-time National Endowment for the Humanities summer scholar. He holds a BA in Spanish and political science from Middle Tennessee State University, a Master of Environmental Law and Policy from Vermont Law School, and an MS in Educational Leadership & Policy Studies from Vanderbilt University.

APHG Happy Hour
2026-10-08 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York)
Join us for an informal, organic discussion facilitated by APHG educators for APHG educators. Each session will focus on a participant-driven conversation about each unit where you can share your insights, seek advice, and discuss the latest trends that support the implementation of the AP Human Geography curriculum without the constraints of a formal presentation.
Full details of Unit 3 discussion coming soon!

Learn more about APHG Happy Hour and Join the Discussion!

NCGE 2026 Annual Conference
2026-10-16 08:00 - 2026-10-18 17:00 (America/New_York) | Virginia Museum of History & Culture, 428 North Arthur Ashe Boulevard, Richmond, Virginia, 23220
Geography on the Fall Line

Form a spatial cluster with educators, researchers, and leaders in the discipline to network, learn about new trends in educational practice and research, and explore a place and region with historical roots and a dynamic modern environment.
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Partners Network Workshop
2026-10-16 09:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | Conference Room: Reynolds Leadership Circle
The Partners Network* Workshop is time dedicated to collaboration and collective impact. Everyone invested in geography education is welcome to attend, whether or not you represent an organization. Please come prepared to discuss common challenges and opportunities, share best practices, celebrate your accomplishments, and plan future strategies. The agenda will include time for sharing as well as two presentations that have been selected for their value to Network members.
*Any non-profit organization involved in advancing geography education, or with an aligned mission, is welcome to join the NCGE Partners Network. This includes international and national organizations, alliances and councils organized at the state level, and higher education departments and their auxiliaries. Partners are encouraged to share information on their activities throughout the year so that NCGE can help aggregate, amplify, and publicize the work we are doing to support geography education at all levels and the impact that work is having.
Full Schedule

9:00 -10:00 am: Annual highlights lightning round.

Any organization that desires can use 3 minutes and up to 3 slides to share key accomplishments and upcoming activities.

10:15-11:00: “Assessing statewide needs of geography education: a landscape analysis story from Oregon.”

Geographic literacy is increasingly necessary for informed civic and career readiness while at the same time geography instructional time is in steady decline. How can interested organizations assess and plan for a systematic approach to better support and improve geography education across a region? Come hear the story of a landscape analysis process conducted in Oregon and discuss what lessons you can take away and apply to your home state or region.
About the Presenter- Sarah Anderson is an educator, author, and consultant specializing in place-based education and curriculum design. Previously a middle school teacher, Sarah is the author of the book Bringing School to Life: Place-based Education across the Curriculum. Her research has been published in Educational Leadership, Education Week, Educational Studies and Green Schools Catalyst Quarterly and her work has been featured by Yes! Magazine and Edutopia. Sarah is currently a doctoral candidate in the Educational Theory and Practice program at Simon Fraser University.

11:15-12:00: “Strategies for funding a state geographic alliance”

Research shows that some state geography alliances have a private endowment, some received money back from National Geographic, and some have funding from the state legislatures. A large number of state alliances lost all funding after 2018. This is analogous to early river travelers going upstream from the coast, who had to stop at a waterfall cliff or a fall line. Geography education encountered a cliff in 2018 and must find a way around it, including securing funding. The purpose of this session is present and discuss strategies for funding state geography alliances.
About the Presenter – Harris Payne and Jerry Mitchell
Conference Room
Reynolds Leadership Circle

Kickin' it Old School with Hands-on Learning tools
2026-10-16 13:00 - 13:30 (America/Chicago) | Conference Room: Byrd
Summary
This strategy is especially powerful in Human and Cultural Geography because it mirrors the way geographers analyze patterns, relationships, and spatial organization. In human geography, students are constantly asked to categorize economic activities, compare demographic trends, evaluate political boundaries, and interpret cultural diffusion. “Sorts” make these abstract processes tangible.
When students physically group migration examples into push and pull factors, classify agricultural systems by level of development, or organize countries by demographic stage, they are practicing core geographic thinking skills: pattern recognition, scale analysis, regional comparison, and cause-and-effect reasoning. The discussion that emerges requires them to defend claims using evidence and precise vocabulary — reinforcing disciplinary literacy.
This strategy is especially powerful in Human and Cultural Geography because it mirrors the way geographers analyze patterns, relationships, and spatial organization. In human geography, students are constantly asked to categorize economic activities, compare demographic trends, evaluate political boundaries, and interpret cultural diffusion. “Sorts” make these abstract processes tangible.
By turning spatial analysis into a collaborative, tactile experience, “sorts” help students actively construct geographic understanding rather than passively receive it, strengthening both conceptual mastery and critical thinking.
Session Focus
Secondary/High School | Human and Cultural Geography | Assessment
Conference Room
Byrd
Meet the Presenters
Jim Dzialo, Kolleen Madeck and Greg Sherwin have a combined 60 years of classroom experience across a multitude of disciplines, including Human Geography, Government, Economics, and Sociology. Beyond our own classrooms, we have a long-standing commitment to the profession, having designed and led professional development workshops focused on student-centered learning. Currently, we are dedicated to evolving our curriculum through the lens of Project-Based Learning (PBL) and inquiry, ensuring our students aren’t just learners, but active investigators of the world around them.

Death Valley Daze
2026-10-16 13:00 - 13:45 (America/Chicago) | Conference Room: Cullen
Summary
Death Valley National Park, CA may be the most diverse geographically in the country. Death Valley is the hottest place on earth, the driest and lowest place in North America and the largest NP outside of Alaska. From -282 Badwater, the lowest place in the Western Hemisphere, one can see the often snow-capped 11,049′ Telescope Peak within the park. DVNP contains dunes, rocks, alluvial fans, hills, mesas, buttes, creosote, Joshua trees, fish, birds, reptiles, amphibians, minerals, salt pans, a ‘racetrack’, a ‘golf course’, a ‘castle’ and yes, water to name a few. Using multimedia, a variety of handouts and desert snacks, a retired soldier who was stationed at Fort Irwin adjacent to the park will bring this park to life. If you love Geography, DVNP should be on your to-do list.
*Spread the love of Geography to my fellow educators by sharing my passion for one of the most geographically diverse parks around.
*Any teacher can incorporate the geographic themes in a variety of lessons featuring this and other parks.
Session Focus
All Grade Levels| Physical & Environmental Geography | U.S. Focused
Conference Room
Cullen
Meet the Presenters
Brent Bagley, a longtime geography educator, NCGE Lifetime Member, and retired U.S. Army veteran whose career reflects a deep commitment to both service and education. Brent served in the U.S. Army from 1983–2013 as a logistician supporting military operations and relief efforts, including Operation Desert Storm, post-9/11 deployments, and Hurricane Katrina response efforts.
While serving in the Army Reserves, Brent taught AP and regular Geography courses at Murray County High School in Chatsworth, Georgia, from 1993–2008. During his teaching career, he became actively involved with the National Council for Geographic Education, presenting at local, state, and national conferences, including NCGE conferences in Boston and Oklahoma City. He also completed AP Human Geography training at Texas A&M under Drs. Bob and Sarah Bednarz and participated in AP Human Geography Exam scoring sessions in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Today, Brent continues his dedication to community service through his church, the Lions Club, and the American Legion, where he serves as historian for Post 29 in Marietta, Georgia.

250 Years of American Growth: Hands-on Explorations of U.S. Human Geography and History
2026-10-16 13:00 - 15:00 (America/Chicago) | Conference Room: Halsey Family Hall
Summary
U.S. history meets Human and Environmental Geography in this hands-on workshop that examines 250 years of America demography, land and natural resource use, and ecological milestones. After a brief introduction to the trends we’ll explore, participants will spend most of the workshop engaging in collaborative classroom activities. One activity is a full-group role-play that’s a vehicle for comparing different demographic and development data points across the decades. In another activity participants construct and interpret population pyramids for different historical eras. Using historical census data, participants will map U.S. population density and expansion across the country from eastern cities along the fall line (including Richmond) to metro areas in the West. We will also use archival census data to analyze connections between family size trends and a range of social and economic indicators. Our group will then create a timeline of environmental events that bridges physical and human geography. Lessons build skills in critical thinking, data analysis and visualization, using geographic tools and primary source documents. Participants will receive lesson plans and background readings in an electronic format, matched to state standards, the C3 Framework, and AP Human Geography..
Session Focus
Secondary/High School | America 250 Through a Geographic Lens | Curriculum and Instruction
Conference Room
Halsey Family Hall
Meet the Presenters
Carol Bliese is the Senior Director of Teacher Programs for the Population Education (PopEd) program at the non-profit organization Population Connection. The program provides teaching materials, professional development workshops, and ongoing support for current and future K-12 teachers that focuses on environmental topics around sustainability and societal topics around global citizenship. Carol manages the day-to-day functioning of PopEd’s workshop program, oversees the development of curriculum, and participates in short and long-term strategic planning. She facilitates teacher training workshops, in-person and online, throughout the U.S. and Canada and has led over 850 workshops in her almost 20 years with the program, including sessions for the National Council for the Social Studies, National Science Teaching Association, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, the North American Association of Environmental Education, and the National Council of Geographic Education.
Cara Bora is an Education Program Associate with the Population Education (PopEd) program at the non-profit organization Population Connection. The program provides teaching materials, professional development workshops, and ongoing support for current and future K-12 teachers that focuses on environmental topics around sustainability and societal topics around global citizenship. She coordinates the Population Education workshops, staff trips, and program outreach in the northeastern part of the U.S. She also conducts workshops online and in-person across the country. Prior to joining PopEd, Cara served as a Science Specialist for elementary grades and taught Science classes to middle schoolers.

Infusing Geography into Genealogy: Creating a Family Geography
2026-10-16 13:00 - 15:00 (America/Chicago) | Conference Room: Reynolds Leadership Circle
Summary
This workshop is designed to bring a lesson to a larger, teaching professional, audience. The Family Geography Project transforms the well-worn family tree into a more critical and more research aligned document that has served to enhance student understanding of the complex socioeconomic situations that create a each family’s geography. The essence of the project underscores the NCGE Strand “Geography for Life” and parallels the “America250 through a Geographic Lens” strand. The end result is a living document that can be added to as students continue their lifelong geographical journey.
Session Focus
All Grade Levels| Geography for Life | Curriculum and Instruction
Conference Room
Reynolds Leadership Center
Meet the Presenters
Johnathan Walker is an Assistant Professor of Geography at James Madison University in the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies. He holds degrees in Geography from the University of California-Berkely (A.B.), Syracuse University (M.A.) and University of Georgia (Ph.D.). He primality teaches World Regional Geography in support of the General Education curriculum. He is the JMU 2026 recipient of the Provost’s Award for Excellence in General Education Teaching.

Mental Maps & The Holocaust: Teaching Facts and Perspective Using Geo-Literacy Skills
2026-10-16 13:00 - 15:00 (America/Chicago) | Conference Room: Lacy
Summary
Examining the Holocaust spatially positions students to think about genocide in new ways. In documenting the Holocaust following World War II, war crimes investigators from the state and the Jewish community asked eyewitnesses to create mental maps of Treblinka. For human geographers, mental mapping represents an opportunity to understand how people perceive a particular place, capturing objective knowledge and subjective perceptions and impressions of a place (National Geographic Society, 2024). In this session, participants will grapple with the question: How do we teach the Holocaust with accuracy while also teaching the subjectivity of mental maps? Using war crime investigation maps of Treblinka, we developed a lesson that requires students to (1) examine the topography surrounding Treblinka, (2) compare maps for content and visualization, (3) analyze how the depiction of Treblinka in Holocaust survivor memoirs compare to the maps, (4) assess how the perspective of the witness influenced the mental map, and (5) discuss the validity of the maps for use in postwar war crimes trials. Through this lesson, students understand how maps can be representations of both data and perceptions and the role spatial thinking can play in documenting atrocities and holding perpetrators accountable.
Session Focus
All Grade Levels| Human and Cultural Geography | World History
Conference Room
Lacy
Meet the Presenters
Jeff Eargle is a clinical associate professor at the University of South Carolina where he serves as the Secondary Social Studies Program Coordinator in the College of Education. He is the coeditor of the forthcoming two-volume book Teaching Holocaust Geographies in Middle and High School from Palgrave Macmillan

Chad Gibbs is an Assistant Professor and the Director of the Zucker/Goldberg Center for Holocaust Studies at the College of Charleston. His book, Survival at Treblinka: Geography, Gender, and Social Networks in Jewish Resistance, was recently published by the University of Wisconsin Press.

Bethany M. Sanders is a doctoral student in the College of Education at the University of South Carolina and a high school social studies teacher in the South Carolina public school system. She received NCGE’s K–12 Distinguished Teaching Award in 2024, and her doctoral studies focus on teaching geo-literacy in the secondary classroom.

Count Me In! Using Labs to Teach Population Geography
2026-10-16 13:45 - 14:15 (America/Chicago) | Conference Room: Byrd
Summary
In this session, we will discuss how to use laboratory assignments to teach population geography. Population geography connects diverse topics including sustainability, economics, politics, and culture. Using labs to teach this topic allows students to use real world data to deepen their understanding of population geography concepts. In this session, we will begin with an overview of teaching population geography, connecting it to geography and social studies standards. In the second part, examples of labs will be introduced, including the topics of international censuses, population policy campaigns, age specific fertility rates, and migration patterns. While the session is geared toward the college classroom, the content is easily adaptable to middle and high school grades. Lab assignments will be shared with attendees.
Session Focus
Higher Education | Human and Cultural Geography | Curriculum and Instruction
Conference Room
Byrd
Meet the Presenters
Gillian Acheson is a professor in the Department of Geography & GIS at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. She teaches a variety of courses including World Regions, Human Geography, Population Geography, Spatial Thinking & Behavior, Geography of Food, and Geography and Social Justice. Her research interests are in geography education and the cultural landscape with publications ranging from map reading and comprehension to representation of women in introductory geography textbooks to the cultural landscape of cemeteries.

From Trends to Teaching: Navigating Tensions and Charting a Future for Geography Education Research
2026-10-16 14:00 - 14:30 (America/Chicago) | Conference Room: Cullen
Summary
As instructional time for social studies continues to shrink in many K–12 settings, geography educators face increasing pressure to demonstrate the relevance, rigor, and interdisciplinary potential of the discipline. This session invites participants into a discussion of current trends in geography education, including effective teaching, data-visualization, geospatial technologies, and STEM aligned inquiry that positions geography as essential to real world problem solving. Broader implications in the field of education and impacts of state policy changes are explored. Participants will consider actionable approaches for integrating geography into interdisciplinary instruction, expanding its presence in the elementary and secondary curriculum, and advocating for its continued visibility in the broader social studies landscape.
Session Focus
All Grade Levels | Geography for Life | Curriculum and Instruction
Conference Room
Cullen
Meet the Presenters
Dr. Mary D. Curtis is an Assistant Professor at the University of Houston-Clear Lake in the College of Education where she coordinates the Social Studies teacher preparation program. Dr. Curtis is a geography educator with over 20 years of experience and service from local to international levels. She currently serves as the Vice Chair for the Association of American Geographers Geography Education Specialty Group and as Associate Editor for the Journal of Geography.

International Efforts to Improve Geography Teaching and Learning
2026-10-16 14:30 - 15:00 (America/Chicago) | Conference Room: Byrd
Summary
This presentation focuses on an upcoming book – International Perspectives on Geography Education (Edward Elgar, 2026) – that highlights the actions taken by geography educators who work to improve the teaching and learning of geographic content. Much that is published in geography education today is pessimistic and bemoans the status of the discipline compared to other academic areas, the difficulty in training quality geography teachers, and the poor performance of students with the subject’s content and skills (such as map reading, analysis, and construction). While these challenges are certainly present, this book seeks to highlight the successes seen in three main areas: student learning, teacher preparation, and teacher professional development. The book is, therefore, one that is positive, optimistic, and showcases for the reader actions that are worth emulating in other places. The presenter will share the successes of authors representing Australia, Belize, Brazil, Chile, Czechia, Germany, South Africa, Singapore, and the United States
Session Focus
Higher Education | Geography for Life | World/International
Conference Room
Byrd
Meet the Presenters
Jerry Mitchell is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Geography at the University of South Carolina. He is a past president of the NCGE and a Fellow of the American Association of Geographers.

The Geospatial Semester at 22: Tales from the Field
2026-10-16 15:15 - 15:45 (America/Chicago) | Conference Room: Reynolds Leadership Circle
Summary
The Geospatial Semester is a unique and innovative project that connects high school students and geospatial technologies to bolster their spatial problem solving and open them up to the myriad careers across the many industries that use these technologies. Students earn dual enrollment credit from JMU and are required to do an extensive project of their own choosing. Since its inception in 2005, more than 10,000 students have participated. We have done a wide array of research to identify the key cognitive and behavioral gains afforded to participating students. In this short presentation, we’ll give a brief introduction to the Geospatial Semester, share examples of student work and discuss the key research findings. Most importantly, you’ll find out how you can bring this successful project to your school
Session Focus
Secondary/High School | Geospatial Technology | STEM
Conference Room
Reynolds Leadership Center
Meet the Presenters
Bob Kolvoord is a professor at James Madison University (JMU), where he also serves as Interim Provost. Bob is the co-creator (with Kathryn Keranen) of the Geospatial Semester, the award-winning dual enrollment program at JMU that brings GIS instruction and projects to students in Virginia. Bob is also the co-author of the Making Spatial Decisions series from ESRI Press. He is interested in how GIS use impacts students’ spatial thinking and problem solving abilities and has collaborated with colleagues at Northwestern, Georgetown, Dartmouth, American and Gallaudet to study this question.

Stories of the Chesapeake
2026-10-16 15:15 - 15:45 (America/Chicago) | Conference Room: Cullen
Summary
Stories of the Chesapeake offers a compelling glimpse into the cultures, communities, and environmental challenges of America’s estuary, the Chesapeake Bay. As one of the nation’s most important natural laboratories for geographic inquiry, the region provides a powerful example of how physical landscapes and human systems interact across space and time. Stretching across six states and the District of Columbia, the Bay’s vast watershed is shaped by rivers that meander toward the Atlantic, carrying sediment, nutrients, and pollution. These waterways reveal critical connections among land use, urban planning, agriculture, food systems, water quality, and climate change.
The Chesapeake Bay is also deeply connected to life along the Fall Line—the natural boundary where the Piedmont meets the Coastal Plain—where cities emerged and commerce flourished. From Old Point Comfort to pivotal moments such as the War of 1812, the presentation highlights the Bay’s layered geography and enduring significance. Together, these stories illuminate a dynamic system that continues to shape the environmental, economic, and cultural identity of the region.
Session Focus
All Grade Levels | America250 through a Geographic Lens, Physical & Environmental Geography, Human and Cultural Geography | World/International
Conference Room
Cullen
Meet the Presenters
Michael Allen, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Geography at Towson University, 2023 U.S. Fulbright Scholar to Serbia, and President-Elect of the International Society of Biometeorology. Prior, he served as co-coordinator of the Virginia Geographic Alliance and Geography Program Director at Old Dominion University. Since 2019, Michael has coordinated the Chesapeake Bay Climate Institute, a hands-on professional development experience highlighting America’s Estuary, drawing linkages between APHG and other disciplines to the issue of climate change and resilience.

Art, Dance, Theatre, Oh My! Using Arts-Methodologies in the Geography Classroom
2026-10-16 15:15 - 16:00 (America/Chicago) | Conference Room: Lacy
Summary
Come explore how art, dance, theatre, and other creative methodologies can deepen student understanding of geography! In this session, participants will engage in hands-on activities that bring historical narratives, social movements, and global issues to life through tableau theatre, protest art, and cartographic storytelling. Attendees will walk away with ready-to-use lesson ideas, creative assessment strategies, and a renewed vision for incorporating art into their classroom
Session Focus
All Grade Levels | Human and Cultural Geography | Curriculum and Instruction
Conference Room
Lacy
Meet the Presenters
Bethany M. Sanders is a doctoral student in the College of Education at the University of South Carolina and a high school social studies teacher in the South Carolina public school system. She received NCGE’s K–12 Distinguished Teaching Award in 2024, and her doctoral studies focus on teaching geo-literacy in the secondary classroom.

Jessica Flach

Myth, Trolls, and Tectonics: Using Storytelling to Teach Physical Geography
2026-10-16 16:00 - 16:30 (America/Chicago) | Conference Room: Reynolds Leadership Circle
Summary
Iceland’s dramatic landscapes are deeply intertwined with a rich tradition of storytelling, where myths and folklore once served to explain the “unexplainable” in the physical world. This presentation demonstrates how geography educators can leverage such narratives to help K–12 students make sense of core physical geography processes, from coastal erosion to volcanism and river flooding. Grounded in a constructivist and inquiry-based approach, the lesson framework invites students to interpret stories, question “why,” and then connect folkloric explanations with scientific concepts.
Participants will experience a short-version lesson in which students are given a myth and asked to identify the underlying physical process and explain it scientifically. A longer version extends this work over one or more weeks by having students locate a myth from any culture, analyze the physical geography embedded in the story, and draw parallels between cultural and scientific explanations. Additional examples from other cultures illustrate how this approach can be adapted across regions and grade levels. Attendees will leave with ready-to-use lesson structures, ideas for sourcing culturally diverse myths, and strategies for fostering reflective, interrogative classroom discussions that deepen students’ understanding of Earth’s dynamic systems while honoring multiple ways of knowing
Session Focus
All Grade Levels | Physical & Environmental Geography | Inquiry
Conference Room
Reynolds Leadership Circle
Meet the Presenters
Mayra Román-Rivera

How Students Can Apply “The Ten Steps of Walkability” to Evaluate Any Downtown
2026-10-16 16:15 - 16:45 (America/Chicago) | Conference Room: Byrd
Summary
In his book, Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time (2012), Jeff Speck offers ten planning steps for creating American downtowns that are useful, safe, comfortable, and interesting. While the ten steps emphasize walkability, they include improvements to land use, public transit, bicycle use, and traffic flow. In this presentation, I demonstrate how to use Speck’s “Ten Steps” to design a downtown field exercise for university geography students. After reading and discussing the ten steps, my students participated in a guided walk of downtown Edwardsville, Illinois, to collect notes and photos of their observations. They were instructed to answer two questions as they wrote up their results: (1) What does the city do well to promote walkability? and (2) How could walkability in downtown be improved? The assignment concluded with a short paper and an in-class discussion of their results. The surprising outcome of this discussion was students’ desire to learn more about the planning decisions behind what they saw in the field. Applying Speck’s “Ten Steps” gives students the structure to make sense of their field observations and draw meaningful conclusions.
Session Focus
Higher Education | Human and Cultural Geography | Curriculum and Instruction
Conference Room
Byrd
Meet the Presenters
Dr. Susan Hume is a professor in the Department of Geography & GIS at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. She believes in the power of field study in geographic education and has made field-based assignments an integral part of her urban geography and sustainable transportation courses. Susan is a lifetime member and past president of NCGE.

Resources for Teaching Political Geography
2026-10-16 16:15 - 16:45 (America/Chicago) | Conference Room: Lacy
Summary
Teaching political geography can be an especially complicated task as foreign relations issues are now flash points for cultural and academic debate. This session is designed to connect educators with high-quality non-partisan materials to help teach foreign relations, and how to connect to the content and practices of political geography. Using practice-based methodologies to engage students in “doing” geography, one of the goals of this session is to give teachers ideas on how to get students working with geographic data to involve students in learning concepts while examining real-world situations.
Session Focus
Secondary/High School | Human and Cultural Geography & Geography for Life | Government and Civics
Conference Room
Lacy
Meet the Presenters
Dr. Kyle Tredinnick
