Geography Awareness Week (GAW) is a nationwide celebration sponsored by the National Geographic Society. In accordance, the Geography Department and the Tennessee Geographic Alliance are sponsoring a weeklong series of events to highlight the “Power of Geography.” Activities scheduled include opportunities for undergraduates to explore Geography as a major and to learn about potential career paths. The Burchfiel Geography Building will be highlighting its majors and celebrating Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Day, which is a component of GAW, on Wednesday, November 18th. The culminating events will be a lecture in the Hodges Library Auditorium at 3:30pm on Thursday, November 19th by distinguished Geographer Dr. Paul Robbins from the University of Wisconsin. He will give a talk on “Birds, Coffee, and Workers in India: Are the Geographies of the 21st Century Sustainable?” The other culminating event will be a “Taste of the World” at the International House Great Room on Sunday afternoon, November22nd from 2:00pm – 5:00pm that will be hosted by the undergraduate group Club Geography. The university community is invited to all events.
Each year more than 100,000 Americans actively participate in Geography Awareness Week. Established by presidential proclamation more than 25 years ago, this annual public awareness program organized by National Geographic Education Programs (NGEP) encourages citizens young and old to think and learn about the significance of place and how we affect and are affected by it. Each third week of November, students, families and community members focus on the importance of geography by hosting events; using lessons, games, and challenges in the classroom; and often meeting with policymakers and business leaders as part of that year’s activities. Geography Awareness Week is supported by year-long access to materials and resources for teachers, parents, community activists and all geographically minded global citizens.
