The National Council for Geographic Education (NCGE), chartered in 1915, is a non-profit scientific and educational society in the United States that promotes and supports geography education.

Annual conference

NCGE holds an annual conference every summer, called the National Conference on Geography Education. This annual event offers hands-on workshops in new teaching methods, technologies, resources, as well as research papers, networking opportunities, field trips and more. Conference field trips include local and regional places of geographic and historical significance. An exhibit hall is staffed by government, industry, nonprofit, and academic organizations and offers the latest in books, journals, projects, curriculum, software, hardware, and more to support geography teaching. Each conference is highlighted by an annual keynote address. Past keynote speakers have included: From 1915 to the late 1970s the NCGE conference was held in a few select US cities. In 1979 the conference began rotating its location to a new North American city each year. Since 1979 the NCGE conference has been held in the following locations:

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...

, Mexico (1979);

Des Moines, IA Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moine ...

(1980); Pittsburgh, PA (1981); San Diego, CA (1982); Ocho Rios, Jamaica (1983);

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

, Canada (1984); Breckenridge, CO (1985);

Chicago, IL (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

(1986); Springfield, MI (1987); Snowbird, UT (1988);

Hershey, PA Hershey is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Derry Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is home to The Hershey Company, which was founded by candy magnate Milton S. Hershey. The community is l ...

(1989);

Williamsburg, VA Williamsburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 15,425. Located on the Virginia Peninsula, Williamsburg is in the northern part of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. It is bo ...

(1990);

St. Paul, MN Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississippi River, Saint Paul is a regional business hub and the center ...

(1991); Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (1992);

Halifax, Nova Scotia Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of the 2021 Census, the municipal population was 439,819, with 348,634 people in its urban area. Th ...

(1993); Lexington, KY (1994);

San Antonio, TX ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

(1995); Santa Barbara, CA (1996);

Orlando, FL Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures re ...

(1997); Indianapolis, IN (1998);

Boston, MA Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- most ...

(1999);

Chicago, IL (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

(2000);

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, for ...

, Canada (2001);

Philadelphia, PA Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

(2002); Salt Lake City, UT (2003);

Kansas City, MO Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...

(2004);

Birmingham, AL Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% fr ...

(2005); Lake Tahoe, NV (2006);

Oklahoma City, OK Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, and ...

(2007); Dearborn, MI (2008);

San Juan, Puerto Rico San Juan (, , ; Spanish for "Saint John") is the capital city and most populous municipality in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2020 census, it is the 57th-largest city under the ...

(2009); Savannah, GA (2010); Portland, OR (2011); San Marcos, TX (2012);

Denver, CO Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the United ...

(2013); Memphis, TN (2014);

Washington DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

(2015); Tampa, FL (2016);

Albuquerque, NM Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding i ...

(2017);

Quebec City Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the metropolitan area had a population of 839,311. It is t ...

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirte ...

, Canada (2018).

Partnerships

The NCGE as an organization actively partners with other organizations, including the Association of American Geographers, The National Council for the Social Studies, and other organizations. Its members are active in the National Science Teachers Association, the

North American Association for Environmental Education The North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) is a US-based nonprofit organization. The organization was founded in 1971 in the U.S. as the National Association for Environmental Education but now includes members from over ...

, the Geographical Association, and in other organizations. Many of its members are also active with the education program of the

National Geographic Society The National Geographic Society (NGS), headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational organizations in the world. Founded in 1888, its interests include geography, archaeology, ...

and with the

National Science Foundation The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent agency of the United States government that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National ...

. Some members are active in working with the U.S. Congress on bills and policy that strengthen geography education at all levels, most notably the "Teaching Geography Is Fundamental (TGIF)" Act.

Publications

The NCGE's weekly email newsletter is published each week. Its contents include geography education news, events, opportunities, and resources. The NCGE's journals include the '' Journal of Geography'' and ''The Geography Teacher''. The Journal has been published for nearly a century, beginning with a different name, while ''The Geography Teacher'' began in 2000. The ''Journal of Geography'' focuses on research in geography education. It is a scholarly, peer-reviewed journal designed for educators, offering the best in teaching and research advancements in geographic education. JOG publishes research on innovative approaches to teaching and learning, classroom tested lesson ideas, curriculum, book reviews, and more. ''The Geography Teacher's'' focus is on illustrating how geography can be taught in the classroom, through short articles, lesson plans, teaching tips, and news especially relevant for today’s primary, secondary, and pre-service teachers.

Taylor and Francis Taylor & Francis Group is an international company originating in England that publishes books and academic journals. Its parts include Taylor & Francis, Routledge, F1000 Research or Dovepress. It is a division of Informa plc, a United Ki ...

is the publisher of these journals.

National Geography standards

NCGE partnered with the

, the Association of American Geographers, and the

American Geographical Society The American Geographical Society (AGS) is an organization of professional geographers, founded in 1851 in New York City. Most fellows of the society are Americans, but among them have always been a significant number of fellows from around the ...

during the 1990s to create the national standards for geography, entitled "Geography for Life" (1994). The content standards what students at specific educational levels should know and be expected to do by grades 4, 8, and 12. The National Standards in Geography are organized into 18 standards that encompass six elements. NCGE played a key role in revising and updating the national standards during the period 2008 to 2012, culminating in the publication of the updated geography standards in September 2012. Revised content captures the growth and importance of geospatial technologies and spatial thinking in geography over the last 18 years. Knowledge statements and performance statements are broken down by grade band (grades 4, 8 and 12).

Other projects

NCGE members created the Geography Map, a body of skills and exemplary activities, as part of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. Members of the NCGE also work closely on joint publications, joint participation in conferences, and in research and curriculum development with other organizations, most notably the Geographical Association, the Association of American Geographers, the National Council for the Social Studies, and the North American Association for Environmental Education. The NCGE is also involved with an effort called the "Roadmap" project, funded by National Science Foundation to National Geographic, with a goal to create key documents that define what geographic literacy is and why it is important to education and society. NCGE holds a webinar series that is open to all and free to members. Topics include teaching with web-based Geographic Information Systems, teaching about the Erie Canal using digital maps, imagery, and geographic inquiry, place-based learning, field work techniques, methods of teaching Advanced Placement Human Geography (APHG), and more. These webinars are conducted by the experts in the respective topics and offer live training as well as the ability to watch the webinar recordings that have been archived.

Presidents

NCGE Presidents since 1915: * Richard E. Dodge (1915–1917) * Albert P. Brigham (1918–1919) * Ray H. Whitbeck (1920) * Wallace W. Atwood (1921) * R.D. Calkins (1922) * Robert M. Brown (1923) * William R. McConnell (1924) * Almon E. Parkins (1925) * Erna Grassmuck (1926) * Robert G. Buzzard (1927) * Leonard O. Packard (1928) * Nels A. Bentson (1929) * DeForest Stull (1930) * Douglas C. Ridgley (1931) * Zoe A. Thralls (1932) * George J Miller (1933) * Edith P. Parker (1934) * Clyde E. Cooper (1935) * Alison E. Aitcheson (1936) * Earl E. Lackey (1937) * J. Russell Whitaker (1938) * Edwin H. Reeder (1939) * Cora P. Sletten (1940) * Alice Foster (1941) * Floyd E. Cunningham (1942–1944) * C. Langdon White (1945) * Katheryne T. Whittenmore (1946) * Alfred H. Meyer (1947) * Thomas F. Barton (1948) * Earl B. Shaw (1949) * Loyal Durand, Jr (1950) * Harry O. Lathrop (1951) * Clyde F. Kohn (1952) * Henry J. Warman (1953) * Otis W. Freeman (1954) * M. Melvina Svec (1955) * Norman J. Carls (1956) * Ina C. Robertson (1957) * Mary V. Phillips (1958) * Adelbert K. Botts (1959) * John W. Morris (1960) * Jewell A. Phelps (1961) * Mamie L. Anderzohn (1962) * Sidney E. Ekblaw (1963) * Herbert H. Gross (1964) * Neville V. Scarfe (1965) * Phillip Bacon (1966) * Lorrin Kennamer (1967) * Daniel Jacobson (1968) * Benjamin F. Richason, Jr. (1969) *

William D. Pattison William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Eng ...

(1970) * Robert A. Harper (1971) * Paul F. Griffin (1972) *

John M. Ball Sir John Macleod Ball (born 19 May 1948) is a British mathematician and former Sedleian Professor of Natural Philosophy at the University of Oxford. He was the president of the International Mathematical Union from 2003 to 2006 and a Fellow of ...

(1973) * Robert E. Gabler (1974) * Elizabeth Eiselen (1975) * Herbert A. Augustine (1976) * William H. Wake (1977) * Karl A. Robert (1978) * Peter V. Greco (1978) * John F. Lounsbury (1980) * James M. Goodman (1981) * Gary A. Manson (1982) * Richard G. Boehm (1983) * Walter G. Kemball (1984) * Gail S. Ludwig (1985) * Charles F. Gritzner (1986) * J.B. Kracht / A.R. Longwell (1987) * A. Richard Longwell (1988) * Robert W. Morrill (1989) * Dorothy W. Drummond (1990) * Norman C. Bettis (1991) * Michael J. Libbee (1992) * Douglas A. Phillips (1993) * M. Duane Nellis (1994) * Edward A. Fernald (1995) * James F. Marran (1996) * Donald J. Ziegler (1997) * David A. Lanegran (1998) * Gail A. Hobbs (1999) * James F. Petersen (2000) * Robert S. Bednarz (2001) * Jody Smothers-Marcello (2002) * Susan W. Hardwick (2003) * Gwenda H. Rice (2004) * Martha B. Sharma (2005) * Kenneth E. Foote (2006) * Mark H. Bockenhauer (2007) * Janet Smith (2008) * Joseph Stoltman (2009) * Kristin Alvarez (2010) * Joseph Kerski (2011) * Eric J. Fournier (2012) * Paul T. Gray Jr. (2013) * Michael N. DeMers (2014) * Susan Hume (2014) * Larianne Collins (2022-Present)

References

External links

National Council for Geographic Education
* OpenEd'
Directory of National Geography Standard Aligned Classroom Resources
{{DEFAULTSORT:National Council For Geographic Education Geographic societies Educational organizations based in the United States Professional associations based in the United States Organizations established in 1915 Learned societies of the United States