 |
|
 |
 |
         |
|
 |
 |
|
Geography is more than places on a map. It is global connections, people and cultures, economics and environments. Our young people need to know geography to understand today’s world and succeed in tomorrow’s. But they are not getting enough of it – in school or out of school. A National Geographic-Roper survey shows half of young Americans cannot locate world powers like Japan and India on a map. Twenty percent cannot even find the Pacific Ocean. Without geography, our children are not ready for the world. The goal of My Wonderful World is to make geography education a priority because kids who understand the world today and succeed in it tomorrow. My Wonderful World is working to promote the importance of global knowledge through Public Service Advertising with television, radio and print ads in media outlets across the United States. Members of the MWW coalition are sharing the word with their members and the public as well in addition to conducting their own projects such as Budget Rent-a-Car’s two “Geo Brain Game” contests for $1,000 savings bonds and 4-H’s new state and county fair student mapping contest. MyWonderfulWorld.org is the center of the campaign, offering resources for parents, teachers and students. Members can also receive a monthly e-newsletter. The site also makes it easy for users to tell their representatives in Congress that global literacy matters and that geography education is a must for U.S. schools. In addition, MWW now has local campaign leaders in forty-seven states who are working to make My Wonderful World a household name by getting the PSAs on the air, providing a presence at professional association meetings, writing letters to local papers, etc. In Connecticut, this position has been held for the last several years by Tom Brodnitzki, a teacher at the Metropolitan Learning Center in Bloomfield. The position will soon be assumed by Allyson Lubs, a sixth-grade teacher at Pawcatuck Middle School in Stonington. The campaign is working! More than 750 news stories have been run about the National Geographic-Roper poll and the My Wonderful World campaign worldwide, generating more than 250 million media impressions. More than $9 million in television and radio ad time has been donated to show the MWW public service announcements across the United States. More then 55,000 people have signed up to join the campaign. Twenty-five national business and nonprofit organizations have joined the campaign, pledging action and outreach. Congress is considering the first geography education bill in the nation’s history, called the Teaching Geography is Fundamental Act, which would allocate $15 million annually for teacher training. State and local PTAs and PTOs across the country have received kits with all the tools to host a geography-themed meeting. MyWonderfulWorld.org was named a Webby Award finalist along with four other top sites and the MWW television as has won two prestigious media industry awards – the Aurora Award and the Cine Golden Eagle. What can you do? Join the campaign and receive the MWW e-newsletter. Download an action kit for parents, educators, kids or teens. Notify your lawmakers to tell them you support geography education. Spread the word to other educators and parents about the MWW campaign and the resources available to anyone. Visit the website (www.mywonderfulworld.org) to participate in the blog for campaign updates and timely geography-related articles and discussion, to see the MWW coalition members and to view the public service announcements for yourself.
|
|
|
 |
|||||
Powered by Imageworks, LLC