WASHINGTON (Feb. 28, 2013)—The National Geographic Education Foundation this morning awarded its Geography Legislator of the Year Awards to key congressional leaders for their commitment to making high-quality geography education available for all K-12 students, preparing young Americans for success. Recognized for their dedication to geography education were Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) and Rep. Rubén Hinojosa (D-Texas).
National Geographic Society Chairman Emeritus Gil Grosvenor presented the awards — framed National Geographic photos of each member of Congress’s home state or district — at a morning reception at the Hyatt Regency in Washington, D.C. Sen. Moran was on hand to accept his award and delivered remarks before a gathering of educators from across the country.
“The Geography Legislator of the Year Awards enable the National Geographic Education Foundation to honor those members of Congress who are working to support geographic education and geo-literacy in American schoolchildren,” said Daniel Edelson, vice president of education at National Geographic. “Throughout its 125-year history, National Geographic has worked to educate people about the planet that sustains us. These lawmakers have shown a similar dedication to this mission, working to ensure that future generations have access to quality geographic education.”
The presentation was made in conjunction with the National Geographic Education Foundation’s annual Speak Up For Geography Day, during which representatives from Geographic Alliances in each state visit Washington, D.C., to meet with their congressional representatives. This year, more than 100 alliance members visited Capitol Hill to urge their members of Congress to support geography education in U.S. schools through the Teaching Geography is Fundamental (TGIF) Act. They were joined by colleagues from the National Council of Geographic Education, the Association of American Geographers and industry supporters from Esri and Google.
About National Geographic Education
National Geographic Education is the educational outreach arm of the National Geographic Society. National Geographic Education brings the rich resources of the Society to its audience of educators and learners as part of its mission to prepare young people to care for the planet by creating educational materials for youngsters and the adults who teach them, conducting educational programs for educators and advocating for improved geographic education. Since the National Geographic Education Foundation was established in 1988, it has awarded more than $80 million in grants to support efforts to improve geography education in the United States and Canada. For more information, visit NatGeoEd.org.
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NOTE: Images of the Geography Legislator of the Year Award event are available. Contact Kelsey Flora at (202) 823-8023 or kflora@ngs.org.