National Council For Geographic Education Home

 

Welcome to The National Council for Geographic Education!

Now in our 95th year, we continue to both promote and celebrate geographic teaching and learning. Our activities include conducting and gathering research, producing journals and other geography publications, developing curricular resources at the K-12 and University levels, providing professional development opportunities, and organizing an annual conference. If you are not yet a member, please consider joining NCGE to receive the membership benefits we provide and help us make a difference in Geographic Education!
 

NCGE Live Webinar Series

Information on our next Live Webinar: 

 
  • Topic: Using Web GIS in the Classroom.
  • Presenter: Joseph Kerski, ESRI, Geographer and Education Manager
  • Date: Tuesday August, 31 2010
  • Time: 4PM Eastern, 3PM Central, 2PM Mountain, 1PM Pacific, 12PM Alaska, 10AM Hawaii
  • Cost: Free for Members, $20 for Non-Members
  • To Register click here:NCGE WEBINAR ENROLLMENT FORM
  • Description: Today’s Web-based Geographic Information Systems have become powerful tools to enable students to think spatially while investigating real topics in real places.  All that is needed to interact with these tools is an ordinary web browser.  However, the inquiry they offer is rich and engaging, incorporating real-time data with local to global phenomena.  Many more than online maps, these tools allow students to investigate geographic patterns, linkages, and relationships.  Join Joseph Kerski as we explore natural hazards, language, economics, invasive species, population, and other topics using Web GIS tools including ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Explorer Online, National Atlas, World mapper, Modern Language Association interactive map, and more.
 

The National Conference on Geographic Education

The National Conference on Geographic Education is an annual event hosted by NCGE to bring Geography educators, professionals, and leaders from around the world together to exchange ideas, research, resources and best practices in geography education. If you have not attended this excited event before please consider joining us and if you have attended, we hope to see you this fall. Please read below for updated conference information.
The 2010 National Conference on Geographic Education is just around the corner. This year’s conference runs from September 29 to October 3 in beautiful Savannah, Georgia. To help you plan your trip to Savannah we have provided the following conference information.
 

Conference Day Rate for Local Teachers

 
If you cannot attend the full conference, don't worry!
You can still register to attend our events on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday at a one-day rate of:
Members: $75 
Non-Members: $85  
 
 
2010 Conference Event Preview

Monday, September 27, 2010

  • NCGE Administrative Committee Meeting (2:00PM-6:00PM)
  • Registration/Help Desk Open (6:00PM- Open for all attending pre-conference meetings and field trips)
  • Registration/Help Desk Closed (10:00PM)
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
  •       Registration/Help Desk Open (6:00AM)
  •       Field Trip- Barrier Island Tour of Sapelo Island Georgia's Coastal Treasure (6:30AM-6:30PM) (Price: $85)
You will enjoy a Ferry trip to Sapelo Island followed by a private tour of the Island by a local guide. Experience the past and present of the island. Trip includes visits to the Reynolds Plantation and Hogg Hammock the original home of slaves brought to Sapelo. A Gullah lunch prepared by locals is included in your tour.(For registration directions please see below)
  •     Field Trip- Historical Tour: Visit Ft. King George in Darien, GA, The Georgia Sea Turtle Center and Jekyll  Island (7:30AM-5:00PM) (Price: $85)
Ft. King George is the oldest English fort remaining on Georgia’s coast. From 1721 until 1736, it was the southern outpost of the British Empire in North America. Jekyll Island National Historic Landmark District is one of the largest ongoing historic preservation projects in the Southeast. Tour includes a visit to Millionaires’ Village and the Jekyll Island Club. The final portion of the field trip will be a visit to the Sea Turtle Center. Millionaires’ Village and of the islands itself. (Lunch on your own). (For registration directions please see below)
  •       NCGE Administrative Committee Meeting (9:00AM-12:00PM)
  •       NCGE Executive Planning Board Meeting (1:00PM-6:00PM)
  •       Registration/Help Desk Closed (10:00PM)
 
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
  •      Registration/Help Desk Open (6:30AM)
  •        Field Trip  Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge (7:30AM-5:00PM) (Price: $85)
This natural wonder is extravagantly beautiful! The swamp is nearly one-half million acres and carries you back into the world’s pre-history. Tour includes a local expert who will lead you through all components of the park sharing his knowledge of plant and animal life and importance of the swamp. Free time after lunch will be given to continue to explore and take a boat ride of historic Indian waterways. A South Georgia barbecue lunch is included. (For registration directions please see below)
  •        Field Trip  Urban Historical Tour of Charleston, South Carolina (7:30AM-6:00PM) (Price: $85)
Tour the house and grounds at Magnolia Plantation, followed by visit to the museum at the Charleston Visitors Center, an overview city tour with a visit to the Charleston Citadel, free time for shopping and lunch at the Market, and a walking tour of the city. (Lunch is on your own). (For registration directions please see below)
  •        Field Trip- A Tourist Trip on US 17 (9:00AM-4:00PM) (Price: $60)
Led by Ray Oldakowski of Jacksonville University. This field trip will examine the cultural landscape of Georgia and Florida along US 17. This road was used by many a traveler decades ago to get to Florida from points north in the Eastern United States. This trip will begin in Savannah and work its way South past the Georgia/Florida border. Experience the “Ocean Highway” and the local flavor of the South in a way I-95 just cannot duplicate! (Stop for lunch along the way—on your own).(For registration directions please see below)
  • Registration/Help Desk Closed (11:00PM)
 
Thursday, September 30, 2010 - Conference Opening Day
  • Registration/Help Desk Opens (6:30AM)
  • The Geography Teacher Editioral Board Meeting (8:00AM-8:45AM)
  •         Breakout Sessions (8:00AM-5:00PM)
  •      Plenary Session One (11:40AM-12:35PM) - Mr. William Butz 
  •      National Geographic Education Town Hall Meeting for Alliance Coordinators (3:00PM-5:00PM)
  •         Opening Session (5:30PM-6:30PM)
 Opening session speakers and entertainment will be announced soon.
  •         Opening Reception & Exhibits (6:30PM-9:00PM)
Please join us to celebrate the opening of our conference and our 2010 exhibit hall. Please see the list of links to our conference exhibitors below.
  •         Registration/Help Desk Closed (11:00PM)
Friday, October 1, 2010
  • Registration/Help Desk Opens (6:45AM)
  • First Timers Breakfast (7:00AM-7:45PM)
 All first time conference attendees are invited to attend this NCGE tradition.
 Price: $Free (but tickets are required)
  • Journal of Geography Board Meeting (7:00AM-8:00AM)
 Private Meeting
  • Exhibit Hall Open (8:00AM-5:00PM)
 Please see the list of links to our conference exhibitors below.
  • AP Human Geography Workshop (8:00AM-5:00PM)
The Workshop is about Cities and Urban Land Use. Organized and chaired by Barbara Hildebrant, Educational Testing Service.
There is no fee to attend this workshop, but pre-registration required. Only 30 can attend. There will be an afternoon field walk as part of the last presentation of the morning session. Lunch is available to pre-registered participants.
  •         Breakout Sessions (8:00AM-2:00PM).
  •         Plenary Session Two (11:45AM-12:35PM) - Mr. Don Wells. 
  •         NGS Training for Geography Awareness Week Coordinators (1:00PM-5:30PM)
Geography Awareness Week Coordinators (select members of the National Geographic Education's Alliance Network) are invited to attend a half-day training to prepare for Geography Awareness Week 2010: Freshwater. By invite only.
  •         South Korean Social Reunion for 2009 U.S. Delegation (7:00PM-9:00PM)
 (Participation by Printed Invitation Only)
NCGE provides and opportunity for many of the geography teachers and university faculty from both South Korea and the U.S. who participated in the 2009 Conference to continue their discussions and activities during the 2010 NCGE Conference as part of the Strand entitled The Korean Peninsula: Traditions and Tensions.
  •         Oyster Bed Renourishment Service Project (2:30PM-5:00PM)Price: FREE (No cost to participants except for labor!)
For the first time at NCGE, we have decided to give back to Savannah for their hospitality in the  form  of a Service Project. This will be a two-hour event. Volunteers will participate in an oyster bed renourishment program. We will be bagging oyster shells from local restaurants to be used in this project to enhance oyster beds in the area. Check out the website for more information http://www.shellfish.uga.edu/oysterrest.html
 
           
Fieldtrips Offered:         
  •         Historic Tour of River Street and the Savannah Waterfront (2:30PM-7:00PM) (Price: $30)
Led by Eric Fournier, Samford University Wander along historic River Street, climb the ballast-stone ramps that lead from the riverfront to the city above, see how the unique 5-story buildings were designed to fit perfectly into the riverside landscape, and explore Factor’s Walk where thousands of bales of cotton once waited shipment to the mills of England. Then learn how the street and adjacent structures were transformed from the heart of Georgia’s cotton-based economy into the center of the city’s entertainment and tourism-based economy. Tour includes a boat ride on the Savannah Queen riverboat.
  •         Tour of Ft. Pulaski and Ft. Jackson (2:30PM-7:00PM) (Price: $40)
From the first days of Georgia's existence, Savannah's sole purpose was to defend this newly established nation against foreign invaders lurking on her southern borders. Many brave Southern men fought gallantly from the time of Spanish attacks through the Revolution and into the Civil War. The tour focuses on two historic locations and battle sites of Savannah's rich war history.
  •         Historic Walking Tour of Savannah (2:30PM-7:00PM) (Price: $15)
You will be met by a guide wearing a typical big Southern chapeau. The history of our fair lady Savannah will come to life as our guides weave their magic telling the history from James Edward Oglethorpe to modern day. The tour includes an entrance to the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist.
  •         Trolley Tour of Historic Savannah (2:30PM-7:00PM) (Price: $30)
You will be travel by trolley with a guide wearing a typical big Southern chapeau. The tour includes an entrance to the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist.
  •         Georgia Port Authority (2:30PM-7:00PM) (Price: $20)
This tour focuses on the economic impact of the Georgia Ports Authority and the Shipping industry. Learn of the past and present significance of the major trade to the overall growth of Savannah and Georgia. Tour will be lead by a staff member of the Ports Authority.
  •         African American Historic Tour (2:30PM-7:00PM) (Price: $40)
Experience the First African Baptist Church, built by slaves after long arduous days in the fields. This was an essential part of the Underground Railroad. Also, visit the Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum, the Father of the Civil Rights Movement in Savannah. Next, tour Savannah State University, the first college for blacks in Georgia as well as Beach Institute, the first black school in Georgia.
  •         Wormsloe Plantation Bonaventure Cemetery (2:30PM-7:00PM) (Price: $40)
Experience the truly unique and exquisite allure of the low country, which so many tourists miss when visiting Savannah. We will ride the bluff of the Isle of Hope adorned with some of the most charming homes and breathtaking views of Georgia's marshes and waterways. We then make our way to see Georgia's first plantation, Wormsloe, on which the eleventh generation still resides. The stunning live oak lined entrance is a photo opportunity not to be missed. Our tour concludes with a visit to Bonaventure Cemetery, described as one of the nation’s most beautiful cemetery sites. Bonaventure boasts of 26 acres of azaleas, hundreds of moss covered oaks and an amazing array of funereal statuaries. Formally, the plantation of Savannah’s prominent Tattnall family, this property echoes a history that is deep rooted in the beginning of Savannah’s rich and colorful past.
  •         Private dinner at Mrs. Wilkes Boarding House (7:00PM-11:00PM) (Price: $55)
Experience true Southern cuisine at its finest. A visit to Mrs. Wilkes is like eating with your grandmother on a holiday weekend. Experience fried chicken and southern prepared dishes handed down through 4 generations. Trolley transportation included.
  •         Ghost Tour Of Savannah (7:00PM-11:00PM) (Price: $20)
As the sun sets upon the city and is replaced by the rising of the moon, the spirits of Savannah's past come to life. The chill of the presence of those long past intrudes the sultry night air of the cities timeless allure. Learn of Savannah's most notorious haunts as well as real life tales based on the book by Margaret Debolt, "Savannah Specters". Transportation provided aboard trolley-includes a visit to the Juliette Gordon Lowe Birthplace after dark.
  •         Savannah Pub Crawl- (7:00PM-11:00PM) (Price: $12)
Details of this event and registration will be available soon. Please check back.
  •         Registration/Help Desk Closed (11:00PM)
 
 
Saturday, October 2, 2010
  •        Registration/Help Desk Opens (6:30AM)
  •        Yoga on the Big Map (7:00AM-7:45AM) (Price: TBA)
  Details of this event and registration will be available soon. Please check back. 
  •         GIS Education Research Committee Meeting- (7:00AM-8:00AM)
  Private Meeting

  •         Gamma Theta Upsilon Board Meeting (8:00AM-12:00PM)
  Private Meeting
  •         AAG Leadership Meeting (8:00AM-4:00PM)
 Private Meeting
  •         NGS Teacher Fest (8:00AM-12:00PM) (Price: $20)
National Geographic Education is offering three exciting hands-on, interactive workshops (each offered three times) especially designed for classroom teachers. These sessions will inspire classroom geography teaching and help prepare to celebrate Geography Awareness Week in November. Registration fee includes breakfast and free resources from NGS.
  •        Exhibit Hall Open (8:00AM-1:00PM)
Please see the list of links to our conference exhibitors below.
  •        Breakout Sessions (8:00AM-5:00PM)
Please follow the link below to download a full list of conference breakout sessions.
  •        Women in Geography Lunch (12:00PM-1:30PM) (Price: $40)
Join the Women in Geographic Education Special Interest Network for lunch, business meeting, awards announcement, and presentation by Dr. Anastatia Hodgens Sims who will speak about "Girl Scout Founder" Juliette Gordon Low (Vegetarian Options)
  •        NCGE Award Presentation and Reception (5:15PM-6:30PM)
Please join us for a reception to celebrate our 2010 NCGE Award Winners. Awards will be presented at this reception. There is no cost to attend.
  •             Low Country Dinner and Party (6:30PM-9:30PM)
(Dinner and Party - The cost of dinner is included with your conference registration).
  •          Registration/Help Desk Closed (10:00PM)
 
Sunday, October 3, 2010- Last day of the Conference
  •          Registration/Help Desk Open (7:45AM)
 
  •          NGS Meetings (9:00AM-12:00PM)
 Meetings for National Geographic Education.
  •         Registration/Help Desk Closed (2:00PM)
 
  •          Conference Ends (2:00PM)
Click Here: To Download a Full List of Conference Breakout Sessions This file will not work with all computer systems.
Click Here: To enroll in the Conference, Field Trips and Special Events. Click on the "Conference, Field Trip & Special Event Registration" Link. *Please note: To enroll in field trips you will follow the same steps as you did when you enrolled in the conference. You will be asked a few of the same questions as before and then you will be able to enroll in field trips.

Conference Travel Information

 

Hotel Information:

  • Savannah Marriott Riverfront: 100 General McIntosh Blvd., Savannah, Georgia 31401

        Phone: 912-233-7722 / Fax: 912-233-3765

  • For reservations, call 1-800-285-0398 prior to September 9, 2010 or go the hotel web-site at www.marriott.com/savrf
  • DON'T FORGET TO USE OUR NCGE GROUP CODE: ncgncga
  • Savannah will be hosting its annual Oktoberfest the same weekend as our conference. This popular event can sell-out many of Savannah's hotels. Please make sure to reserve your room at the discounted conference rate. All conference attendees who are apart of our room block will receive FREE Wi-Fi Internet in their room for the duration of their stay. The normal Wi-Fi rate for non-conference attendees is $12.00 a day.
  • NCGE Hotel Group Rates: Single/Double $159, Additional Person: $20; Junior Suite $189; Executive Suite $214; 1 Bedroom Suite $368; 2 Bedroom Suite $527; Taxes/Fees: 13%+1% City Occupancy Fee; Parking $5 Self/ $20 Valet

Discount Airline Information:

  • Delta Airlines is providing a discount to all NCGE conference attendees and their guest. Rates can vary so please call for discount details. 
  • Please note: This rate is not available on the Delta website you must call.
  • For reservations, call 1-800-328-1111 and use the Delta Group Code: NM62Y

Discount Shuttle Information:

  • The Savannah Marriott does NOT provide an airport shuttle. We have secured a local shuttle company (Kelly Shuttle) to provide transpotation to and from the Savannah Airport. 
  • Please Note: You much have a pre-arranged reservation to use Kelly Shuttle.
  • For reservations, call 1-877-243-2050 to reserve your seats or go on-line to www.kshuttle.com and click in the AREA EVENTS and Follow the directions next to the NCGE logo.
  • Kelly Shuttle has given us a round trip shuttle discount: NCGE members can travel to and from the airport for is $35 Total. Normal rates run about $25-28 each way.

List of Conference Exhibitors & Sponsors

Please click on the exhibitor or sponsor name to link to their website.

US Census Bureau                                                                           Georgia Geographic Alliance

Michigan State University                                                            Wiley

Taylor & Francis Group/ Routledge                                         Population Connection

Goeth-Institut/ Transatlantic Outreach Program             The Exploration Company

CNL World                                                                                          CHAMPS

Applied Field Data Systems                                                       U.S. Geological Survey

American Meteorological Society                                             Oregon Geographic Alliance

South Carolina Geographic Alliance                                         National Geographic Education

GISetc                                                                                                  ESRI

Association of American Geographers                                   Holbrook Travel

National Geographic Live                                                             Association for Asian Studies

Grosvenor Center for Geographic Education                       The College Board