Two vacancies on the Conference Planning Board

There are currently two vacancies on the GA's Conference Planning Board.

If you'd like to get more involved in planning the GA's Annual Conference, you have until the end of August to apply to fill one of the vacancies.

I served on the board for several years during my Presidential journey and it's an interesting professional development opportunity as well as seeing another side to Conference.

GIS CPD from the GA's Welsh Special Interest Group

This event is presented by Alistair Hamill and Brendan Conway.

Alistair and Brendan will explore three pioneering approaches which will make a significant difference to the full integration of GIS in schools:
- The first knowledge-rich statutory curriculum approach to GIS: Curriculum references to GIS can be high in aspiration but low in detail. How can we scaffold application to bring real impact to such aspiration?
- The first GIS integration within a fully-sequenced curriculum plan and lessons by Oak National Academy.
- The first GIS app for schools created with the help of agentic AI.

Book tickets here. 

Professor Sarah Bednarz RIP

Via the IGU Commission on Geographical Education (IGU-CGE) and Professor David Lambert.

It is with deep sadness that we share the news of the passing of Professor Emerita Sarah Witham Bednarz, a distinguished scholar whose work shaped generations of geography educators and researchers.

Renowned for her contributions to spatial thinking, the educational use of geospatial technologies, and teacher education, she helped strengthen the intellectual foundations of our field. Across borders, she led and anchored many of the international projects and collaborations that have come to define geography education.

For many entering the geography education community, she was a trusted mentor whose nurturing spirit helped young scholars build confidence and curiosity.

She will be remembered for her tireless energy and leadership in defending the place of geography in schools, universities, and public life, far beyond any single nation. A past president of the American Association of Geographers, she was also a devoted, long-standing member of the IGU Commission on Geographical Education.
Her contributions will endure in the research she advanced and the people she mentored.
We will miss the roadmap she drew for our field.

Time to propose a session for the GA Conference 2027

Next year's GA conference theme is Passionate about Geography.

Passion is at the heart of geography. It drives us to explore, question and understand the world around us. Geography helps us make sense of our planet and our place within it, but more than that, it encourages us to care. Passion transforms geographical knowledge into something meaningful, prompting us to make connections and engage with real-world issues.

For many students, that passion begins in the classroom. Through powerful enquiries and meaningful experiences, we can spark curiosity and help shape how young people think about the world. In a time of complex global challenges, from climate change to inequality, geography provides essential understanding, but it is passion that motivates action.

By creating engaging, inclusive classrooms and supporting all learners, we can nurture students’ interests in weather, climate, landforms, processes, places and people.

Being passionate about geography will help us to inspire future geographers to understand and shape our world.

Fiona Sheriff – GA Vice President 25-26

You have until the end of August to propose a session for the Conference.

Guidelines are here.

The proposal form is here.

This short video will be particularly helpful for someone putting together a first-time submission for the conference. Keep it relevant to the theme of the conference!

New from the GA... Subject Leader Development Programme

 

More details are available here.