[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 30 (Wednesday, March 2, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1128-S1129]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. COCHRAN (for himself and Ms. Mikulski):
  S. 434. A bill to improve and expand geographic literacy among 
kindergarten through grade 12 students in the United States by 
improving professional development programs for kindergarten through 
grade 12 teachers offered through institutions of higher education; to 
the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

[[Page S1129]]

  Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, today I am introducing the Teaching 
Geography is Fundamental Act. I am pleased to be joined as a cosponsor 
by my friend, the distinguished Senator from Maryland, Ms. Mikulski. 
The purpose of this bill is to improve geographic literacy among K 
through 12 students by supporting professional development programs for 
their teachers that are administered in institutions of higher 
learning. The bill also assists States in measuring the impact of 
education in geography.
  Ensuring geographic literacy prepares students to be good citizens of 
both our Nation and the world. John Fahey, who is Chairman and CEO of 
the National Geographic Society, once stated that, ``Geographic 
illiteracy impacts our economic well-being, our relationships with 
other nations and the environment, and isolates us from the world.'' 
When students understand their own environment, they can better 
understand the differences in other places, and the people who live in 
them. Knowledge of the diverse cultures, environment, and distances 
between states and countries helps our students to understand national 
and international policies, economies, societies and political 
structures on a global scale.
  To expect that Americans will be able to work successfully with other 
people around the world, we need to be able to communicate and 
understand each other. It is a fact that we have a global marketplace, 
and we need to be preparing our younger generation for competition in 
the international economy. A strong base of geography knowledge 
improves these opportunities.
  The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reports that in 2010, the 
overall volume of international trade, as the sum of imports and 
exports, was over $4.3 trillion. Geographic knowledge is increasingly 
needed for U.S. businesses in international markets to understand such 
factors as physical distance, time zones, language differences and 
cultural diversity.
  Geospatial technology is an emerging career that is now available to 
people with an extensive background in geography education. 
Professionals in geospatial technology are employed in federal 
government agencies, and in the private and non-profit sectors in areas 
such as agriculture, archeology, ecology, land appraisal, and urban 
planning and development. It is important to improve and expand 
geography education so that students in the United States can attain 
the necessary expertise to fill and retain the estimated 70,000 new 
jobs that are becoming available each year in the geospatial technology 
industry.
  Former Secretary of State Colin Powell once said, ``To solve most of 
the major problems facing our country today--from wiping out terrorism, 
to minimizing global environmental problems, to eliminating the scourge 
of AIDS--will require every young person to learn more about other 
regions, cultures, and languages.'' It is clear to me that we need to 
do more to ensure that the teachers responsible for the education of 
our students, from kindergarten through high school graduation, are 
prepared and trained to teach the skills necessary to solve these 
problems.

  Over the last 15 years, the National Geographic Society has awarded 
more than $100 million in grants to educators, universities, geography 
alliances, and others for the purposes of advancing and improving the 
teaching of geography. Their models are successful, and research shows 
that students who have benefitted from this teaching outperform other 
students. State geography alliances exist in 26 states and the District 
of Columbia endowed by grants from the Society. But, their efforts 
alone are not enough.
  In my home state of Mississippi, teachers and university professors 
are making progress to increase geography education in schools through 
additional professional training. Based at the University of 
Mississippi, hundreds of geography teachers are members of the 
Mississippi Geography Alliance. This Alliance conducts regular 
workshops for graduate and undergraduate students who are preparing to 
be certified to teach elementary and high school-level geography in our 
State. These workshops have provided opportunities for model teaching 
sessions and discussion of best practices in the classroom.
  The bill I am introducing establishes a Federal commitment to enhance 
the education of our teachers, focuses on geography education research, 
and develops reliable and advanced technology based classroom 
materials. I hope the Senate will consider the seriousness of the need 
to make this enhanced investment in geography.
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