The Power of Geography

Fri, 01 Mar 2002 05:00:00 -0500
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Sari Bennett, director of geographic education, works with educators to strengthen the teaching of geography.

“The Power of Geography”

For more than a decade, Sari Bennett has worked with educators in Maryland to strengthen the teaching of geography in grades K-12. “All too often students think of geography only as maps or the memorization of place names. We�re working to show teachers and students the power of geography in understanding the world around us.”

As head of the Maryland Geographic Alliance, an initiative funded by the National Geographic Society (NGS) and the State of Maryland, Bennett has provided professional development programs for more than 8,000 teachers, including summer geography institutes at UMBC. Currently, she has a Grosvenor Grant from NGS to produce CD-ROMs with interactive activities for students to learn and apply important geographic concepts. These CD-ROMs and related activities will be disseminated to elementary teachers throughout Maryland.

A geography department faculty member since 1974, Bennett is the director of the Center for Geographic Education. She also served two years as “Geographer-in-Residence” at the National Geographic Society.