Ohio Geographic Alliance

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Late last fall, I joined the steering committee for the Ohio Geographic Alliance (OGA). A retired colleague (Professor Emeritus Dr. Howell Lloyd) was stepping down after many years serving on the committee. We attended my first meeting together and I was thankful to have someone at the meeting who I already knew and also someone to help me navigate to Ohio State University for the first time (where OGA is based). OGA is one of many state geographic alliances and is sponsored by the National Geographic Society.
Established in 1990, OGA is an organization devoted to enhancing geography, as both a physical and socialc science, in Ohio's K-12 curriculum. It is a partnership that includes K-12 teachers and university geography professors who work together in pre-service, inservice, materials development and public engagement activities. (from OGA website).
I was very excited about the prospect of joining this organization, because I have wanted to get involved in K-12 education and this service work is an excellent opportunity for me to do just that. So far, I have only attended meetings, but will be involved in a teacher workshop that we will hold next June in Columbus. I have also volunteered to be involved in some other planning activities mandated by National Geographic.

One of the benefits of having tenure is that I feel that I have time to devote to activities like this without worrying if I get an immediate publication or proposal out of it. I can pursue it just because I want to. It's a chance for me to do service to geography as a discipline, but also hopefully make a difference in education.

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