Thursday, August 11, 2011

Importance of Geography Education

Every day, we see new evidence of the importance of geographic education. A couple of recent examples are mentioned below; we encourage readers to watch for other stories that exemplify the value of geography in daily life, employment, international affairs, and other arenas.

My Geo-STEM article describes recent attention at the national level to the place of geography in STEM Education (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). More recently, GeoWorld reported on the use of geotechnology to improve the efficiency of coffee processing in Rwanda. Using GIS to select better locations for coffee washing has played an important role in the dramatic improvement of the economy in what had been one of Africa's most troubled countries.