Taking the Discussion Nationwide

 Bridgewater State University geography professors Vernon Domingo and James Hayes-Bohanan recently appeared on the CBS/WBZ radio program NightSide with Dan Rea. A couple of Massachusetts Geographic Alliance members were among the callers, though the phones were lit up early and calls came in from all over the eastern United States.

Many members and friends of MGA heard the program, but many others expressed regret at missing it. Not all segments of the Dan Rea show are posted online, but this one is now available, reflecting the importance the host places on the issue of geographic education.

Speak Up for Geography

We spend most of our time working on geography education with our own students, community members, and colleagues. We also have been spending a significant amount of time explaining why geography education needs to be better supported at the state level here in Massachusetts.

We should not neglect, however, the need to advocate for geography at the Federal level. Speak Up for Geography is a campaign to fund existing mandates for geography education. As with many online campaigns, this web site generates letters to members of Congress. In addition to sharing the link, it would be useful for geography educators to tell their own stories, and to let the senators and representatives know where, why, and how we are teaching geography in their home regions.