Photograph by Mark Thiessen
The Education Foundation is the unit of the National Geographic Society that oversees the Society’s endowed funds for geographic education. In 2010, the Foundation’s endowments totaled more than $130 million. The income from these endowments is used to support the creation and dissemination of educational resources, professional development for teachers, public awareness, policy reform and other programs that enhance geographic education.
In addition to its support for National Geographic Education’s programs for educators and learners, the Education Foundation supports three major initiatives designed to improve geographic education nationwide.
The core program of the Foundation is the National Geographic Network of Alliances for Geographic Education. Alliances are partnerships between university faculty and K-12 teachers that connect educators with one another, offer professional development opportunities, and promote educational innovation at state and local levels.
Policy Reform
National Geographic is working with educators and policymakers at state and national levels to establish policies that will lead to improvements in geographic education. These include efforts to improve standards and assessments and increase funding for efforts to improve geographic education. The centerpiece of this Policy Initiative currently is federal legislation to establish dedicated federal funding for geography education.
Public Awareness
Launched in 1987 by a joint resolution of congress, Geography Awareness Week is an annual opportunity for families and schools to engage in exciting educational experiences that draw attention to geography and the importance of geographic understanding for all citizens.
The Education Foundation does not currently have any open grant programs and does not accept unsolicited proposals. However, we welcome ideas for future funding programs. Interested organizations are invited to submit suggestions to the Education Foundation at the address below. Contact Us
National Geographic Society
Education Foundation
1145 17th Street N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20036-4688
Phone (202) 857-7310
Fax (202) 429-5701
Email: foundation@ngs.org
