Going to the Hill

On Tuesday July 23^rd, eight members of the MGA steering committee went to the Massachusetts State House on Beacon Hill and they paid visits to offices of their state senators and representatives, urging them to actively support the Geography Education bill (S.200) that is now in the Joint Committee on Education. Legislators were urged to either write letters of support or to appear personally at the bill's hearing on Thursday October 31^st. This is part of the strategic push to get the bill passed this year so that the public hearings on geographic education can occur next spring. This is an exciting time for geography education as we are within striking distance of having a geographic education commission - the first ever for our state. We encourage you to contact your state representatives (https://malegislature.gov/) and request their support. We need more geography in our schools as geography is THE subject that teaches about the variety of cultural and physical places that make up our world. Geography teaches those spatial thinking skills that are so essential for jobs ranging from map making to environmental planning. The National Geographic Society Education Foundation provides excellent material on Geo-literacy and why we need it to become involved citizens in the 21^st century. http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/geoliteracy/?ar_a=1