[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 15]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 20030]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  INTRODUCTION OF RESOLUTION COMMENDING NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC BEE 2004 
                         WINNER ANDREW WOJTANIK

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DENNIS MOORE

                               of kansas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 28, 2004

  Mr. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of his proud neighbors in Kansas' 
Third Congressional District, and particularly on behalf of the 
students and teachers at Lakewood Middle School in Overland Park, 
Kansas, I am honored today to introduce a resolution congratulating 
Andrew Wojtanik for winning the 16th Annual National Geographic Bee. I 
have been joined in this effort by Representatives Jim Ryun and Jerry 
Moran of Kansas, and by Representatives Major Owens, Earl Blumenauer, 
and Max Burns.
  On May 26, 2004, Andrew won the 16th Annual National Geographic Bee 
when he correctly answered a question about the Khyber Pass in Northern 
Pakistan.
  While Andrew's comprehensive knowledge of geography is an inspiration 
to students everywhere, studies suggest that most of Andrew's peers 
would be unable to find Pakistan on a map, let alone be aware of the 
significance of the Khyber Pass. Only 13 percent of young adults in the 
United States between the ages of 18 and 24 can correctly identify Iraq 
on a map of Asia and the Middle East. Year after year, American 
students are consistently outperformed in geographic literacy by 
students in Sweden, Germany, Italy, France, Japan, Great Britain, and 
Canada.
  The truth is that many students in the United States receive only a 
minimal amount of geography education during their educational careers. 
In 2001, Congress acknowledged the importance of including geography 
education in school curriculums when it designated geography as a 
``core subject'' in the No Child Left Behind Act; yet, geography 
remains the only core subject identified in that act without a federal 
program designed to improve educational performance.
  Congress must honor its commitment to the children of the United 
States and address the need for improved geography education. As we 
have recognized in other areas of education, the only way to truly 
improve the educational system at a student-level is to help schools 
use the most effective teaching techniques to increase student 
knowledge and understanding. Geography education is no exception.
  The National Geographic Society Alliance Program is an excellent 
example of current efforts to improve geography education at the state 
and local level. Alliances around the country provide teachers with 
intensive professional development opportunities in geography 
education, cultivating opportunities for teachers in state-level 
chapters to collaborate on geography education efforts and to 
participate in NGS professional development programs. And the success 
of the National Geographic Society Alliance Program is seen through the 
achievements of its students--students of teachers who have been 
involved in the Alliance program have statistically, higher levels of 
geographic literacy achievement than other students. Promoting proven, 
effective teaching techniques, such as those developed through the 
National Geographic Society Alliance Program, will be essential if 
Congress is to successfully foster greater geographic literacy among 
American students.
  If we are to continue our efforts to develop the most educated 
citizenry in the world, we must closely examine how we educate our 
youngest citizens about the world. This resolution is the first step to 
refocusing attention on the need for geographic literacy and its 
important role in our children's education.
  It is my hope that passage of this resolution will do more than just 
applaud Andrew Wojtanik's mastery of geography skills--this resolution 
will reaffirm Congress's commitment to geography and recognize a 
national public-private partnership dedicated to improving geographic 
literacy among American students. For these reasons, I urge my 
colleagues to join with me in sponsoring this important resolution.

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