The Virginia Geographic Alliance promotes geo-literacy by providing effective professional development programs that enhance the teaching and learning of geography and that demonstrate the value of geographic knowledge and spatial thinking to educators, policy makers, and community members.

The Virginia Geographic Alliance fosters and supports the enduring power of the geographic perspective in social, environmental and geospatial sciences as they develop in schools, universities, businesses, governments and communications media to advance geo-literacy. Acquiring geographic knowledge, skills and technologies enables people to become productive citizens and lifelong learners who

â–ºrecognize the importance of place and local-to-global connections,
â–ºunderstand changing human-environment interactions, and
â–ºapply environmental and spatial perspectives in decision-making and problem-solving.

Professional Learning

Resources

About

Upcoming Events

  • Geospatial Educator Certification (GeoEdC)

    The Geospatial Educator Certification (GeoEdC) program, offered by the Geospatial Technology Consortium of Community Colleges (GTC3), is currently accepting applications for its next cohort: https://arcg.is/1X1qTK [arcg.is]! The program is designed for middle school, high school, community college, and university educators who teach or plan to teach geospatial technologies (GST) with intermediate or higher levels of GST experience. GeoEdC supports educators seeking to strengthen their pedagogical skill set and provides formal documentation certifying the technical skills, competencies, and knowledge needed to deliver high-quality, workforce-aligned geospatial instruction.

    Accepted applicants (limited to no more than 30 participants) will complete the 4-week, virtual (asynchronous) GeoEdC program starting on July 6 and ending on August 2, 2026.

    Check out more details here: https://geoedc-kctcs.hub.arcgis.com/

    More Information

  • Science, Data, and Education: Connecting Educators and USGS Scientists Professional Development Workshop

    Welcome to the USGS Reston Education, Science Outreach, Recruitment, and Collaborative Engagement (RESOuRCE) Team newsletter. Our goal is to foster connections with local K-12 educators. We intend to reach out quarterly throughout the year to update you about opportunities to connect with USGS resources and scientists.   

    Upcoming opportunities: 

    • Register for the second annual Science, Data, and Education: Connecting Educators and USGS Scientists Professional Development Workshop to be held June 23-25, 2026. 

    • Connect with USGS scientists for lab tours, classroom visits, science fairs, and career days. We can come to you! Reply to this email to schedule a visit. 

    If you have a friend or colleague who would like to hear from us, feel free to forward this email. Stay tuned for all the details and updates from your local RESOuRCE Team! 

    Register

Features

  • two-page view

  • 40 full-page maps

  • over 40 narrative pages of nonfiction text

  • text features to support literacy skills

  • 51 mini maps as graphics

  • tables, charts, and diagrams

  • links to 65 interactive online maps and apps

  • geography, history, science, English/language arts, and math content

  • teacher guide with instructional ideas

Shop Now