This month only, we're making NAGTNews openly shareable! While this newsletter is typically a member-exclusive benefit, we invite you to share it with colleagues, friends, or anyone who might appreciate a closer look at what NAGT has to offer.
BONUS: Anyone who joins now receives September-December 2025 FREE with their 2026 membership!
Let others experience the value of NAGT - pass it on!
Help Graduate Students and Post-Docs Attend EER26
You can help today's graduate students and post-docs benefit from NAGT's programming at the Earth Educators' Rendezvous and beyond. Donate to NAGT today to support our ability to offer the Preparing for an Academic Career Workshop or to support participants directly through scholarships.
Apply now for the Geo2YC Faculty Development Grant
Due September 15
The Geo2YC Division would like to support your efforts to promote geoscience education in two-year colleges. Towards this end, the Geo2YC Division will award mini-grants up to $500 to support an activity (workshop, field trip, etc.) that benefits faculty from multiple institutions. Travel grants of $100 to help individuals attend a professional development activity will also be awarded.
Applicants must be members of the Geo2YC Division of NAGT. The proposed activity must align with the goals of the Geo2YC Division, and if a mini-grant is awarded, the member must submit an article sharing their event to the Geo2YC "Foundations" newsletter. Preference will be given to members who have not previously received a Geo2YC grant.
Join us for the 2025 NAGT, GSA GED, & GeoCUR Virtual Joint Awards Ceremony!
Virtual - September 26, 2025, 12:00 PM PT | 1:00 PM MT | 2:00 PM CT | 3:00 PM ET (1 hour duration)
You are invited to join us at the 2025 NAGT, GSA Geoscience Education Division, & GeoCUR Virtual Joint Awards Ceremony, where we celebrate the incredible achievements of our awardees and welcome our new officers. This virtual event is open to everyone. Please feel free to share the invite with your friends, family, and colleagues to join in the celebration! We look forward to seeing you there! A Zoom link will be shared closer to the event.
2026 Earth Educators' Rendezvous
University of South Carolina in Columbia, SC, 20-23 July 2026
EER26 Workshop Proposals Due October 1
Share your work with colleagues in a rich professional learning environment by submitting a proposal to lead a workshop. Read more about the proposal process and sign up to receive timely updates as the program and deadlines become available.
Sign up to be an EER Exhibitor
Share your products or services with EER participants by taking advantage of the University of South Carolina School of the Earth, Ocean, and Environmental Sciences venue. Exhibitors can showcase their products and services throughout the event in a dedicated exhibitor area. Exhibitors will have dedicated time to share information during the Exhibitor Showcase.
Sponsor EER2026
Gain visibility for your organization, program, or institution with EER Participants who work in the Earth, ocean, and atmospheric sciences and allied fields in the full range of institution types and organizations around the country. Attendees include college and university faculty, graduate students, education professionals, K-12 teachers, and administrators, at a wide range of career stages.
NAGT Activities at the 2025 GSA Annual Meeting
San Antonio, Texas - October 19-22, 2025
GSA Connects is a fantastic opportunity to connect with geoscientists from around the world, present your work, and participate in critical conversations shaping the future of the geosciences. NAGT is sponsoring sessions, short courses, meetings, and a field trip at the 2025 Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America in San Antonio, Texas, from October 19–22, 2025. Don't miss sessions highlighting key issues in geoscience educators.
NAGT Booth: For those who will be onsite in San Antonio, NAGT will be at booth #716 in the exhibit hall. The NAGT booth will be open all week. If you are interested in volunteering to staff the booth, please fill out our volunteer spreadsheet or email Brianna Douglas (bdouglas@carleton.edu).
Informal "NAGTea" Gatherings: Visit the NAGT booth for informal gatherings around a variety of topics! Hot water, tea, and mugs will be available—or bring your own! Gatherings will happen at the table at the NAGT booth or adjacent tables in the exhibit hall, as needed. These will be scheduled closer to the conference.
Association Business Meetings: NAGT meetings, including the annual business meeting of the association, and meetings for each Division, will be held virtually around the time of GSA. These meetings are open to all NAGT members and provide opportunities to hear about NAGT activities in the past year and plans for the future. Keep an eye out for scheduling details as they become available. We hope you will join us.
Socials and Receptions: Are you hosting a geoscience education-related reception? Contact Mitchell Bender-Awalt (mawalt@carleton.edu) to get your event posted on NAGT's GSA Connects 2025 page.
Exclusive 15% Discount for GSA Connects 2025 Registration
As a member of the National Association of Geoscience Teachers, you are eligible for an exclusive 15% discount on registration for GSA Connects 2025, taking place 19-22 October 2025 in San Antonio, Texas! To redeem your discount, use the unique discount code: 25CONNECT_NAGT
Investing in Leadership
We are hosting onboarding meetings that bring together our incoming, outgoing, and continuing leaders. These gatherings are a key part of ensuring a smooth transition, fostering collaboration, and aligning on shared goals for the year ahead. We're grateful for the dedication of all our leaders - past, present, and future - as we continue to move forward together.
Field Camp & Course Survey
Response Requested by October 1
The American Geosciences Institute and Friends of Field Camp are conducting an anonymous survey to assess the current state of geoscience field education. We seek perspectives from field camp and field course instructors, managers, and employers regarding essential field skills.
Who should participate: Instructors, managers, or employers involved in geoscience field camps or field courses.
Timeline:
- Complete by October 1 for preliminary results at GSA Connects (San Antonio)
- Final results distributed to the community in early 2026
Your input will directly influence Friends of Field Camp's support initiatives. Please forward this survey to relevant colleagues.
Take the Survey by October 1
Journal of Geoscience Education
Article of the Month
Each month, the editorial staff for the Journal of Geoscience Education (JGE) selects a paper to be free to access. For September 2025, they selected "Navigating the terminological nuances of virtual field opportunities in the geosciences through multiple correspondence analysis" by Eury Speir, Danielle Opreah, and Sarah M. Jacquet and published online 17 March 2025. Congratulations authors!
The Journal of Geoscience Education is always looking for submissions related to learning and teaching in the geosciences and related domains.
In The Trenches
In the Trenches (ITT) is an interactive online publication designed to provide a venue for NAGT members to learn about and discuss teaching strategies and resources, the work of NAGT committees, sections, and divisions, and other ideas relevant to Earth educators and education researchers. Share your work through ITT!
Check out ITT's August's Article
Empowering Earth Science Educators: The Impact and Innovation of NAGT's K-12 Committee by Kellyn Hardin and Nancy Chen. The authors describe how the NAGT K-12 committee is building a nationwide network of support, resources, and inspiration to help educators bring Earth science to life in every classroom.
Suggest ITT Content Submit an Article
Teach the Earth 
Teach the Earth (TTE) is a portal to thousands of resources from dozens of Earth Education websites. Managed by NAGT, this portal supports teaching and learning about the Earth by providing online resources for K-12 and undergraduate educators in the geosciences and related fields. Resources include classroom activities, course descriptions and syllabi, information about pedagogical strategies, topical collections, and more.
Featured Exemplary Resource: Earthquake Hazard Maps & Liquefaction
This exercise combines three related activities on the topic of shaking-induced ground instability: a ground shaking amplification demonstration, a demonstration on seismic landslides, and a liquefaction experiment. Includes Alaska and San Francisco examples.
Help update valuable teaching resources - contribute resource updates to the Community Contribution Tool
Have you made modifications to resources on SERC sites? Use the Community Contribution Tool (CCT) to share with others and keep these valued online resources current. Many data-rich InTeGrate and GETSI modules were recently updated. CCT is now available on all SERC-host activities.
NAGTNews Community Kudos
Do you have good news related to your geoscience education work that you would like to share with the NAGT community? Submit it to NAGT's Community Kudos!
Workshops
NAGT Sponsored Short Course at the 2025 GSA Annual Meeting
San Antonio, Texas - Saturday, October 18, 2025, 1:00-5:00 PM
Explore the 2025 report from the National Academies titled Transforming Undergraduate STEM Teaching. Central to the report are seven core principles that underlie effective teaching, along with recommendations for how to implement them. Our focus will be on applying these principles specifically to undergraduate STEM education in the geosciences. Through interactive discussion and practical exercises, participants will engage with the evidence behind the principles and explore how they can be translated into effective teaching strategies. By the end of the workshop, participants will be familiar with the core principles and the research supporting them, be able to describe specific teaching strategies aligned with each principle, and begin developing an action plan to implement these strategies in their geoscience courses or departmental policies and practices.
NAGT Sponsored Field Trip: An Educator's Look at West Texas Geology
San Antonio, Texas - Thursday, October 16 - Saturday, October 18, 2025
This tour highlights the geological wonders between El Paso and San Antonio, emphasizing the Franklin Mountains, Guadalupe Mountains, and Carlsbad Caverns. Participants will explore tectonic, sedimentary, and karst landscapes. We plan a day and a half in the field exploring these sites as well as "meta" level discussions about field trip organization and facilitation. We hope for vibrant and rich discussions set in some of the most mind-blowing geological sites of west Texas.
Traveling Workshops: Bring Our Experienced Leaders to You
The Traveling Workshops Program (TWP) brings NAGT's professional development program to you, working with you to customize a workshop to meet your group's needs. The TWP has well-tested workshop sessions on adapting to change, (re)designing your courses and curriculum, inclusive mentoring, supporting all students, and more. Are you preparing for a program review or responding to feedback from one? Have you seen changes in the faculty in your department through new hires or retirements? Do you feel you could do a better job serving your students? We can help you! Choose your workshop or learn more about the program.
Webinars
AGI Webinar: Unlocking the potential of your introductory geoscience courses
Virtual - Friday, September 12, 2025, 7:00 AM HST | 9:00 AM AKDT | 10:00 AM PDT | 11:00 AM MDT | 12:00 PM CDT | 1:00 PM EDT (1 hour duration)
The AGU/AGI Heads and Chairs webinar series is pleased to offer a free webinar that will explore the many important roles that introductory geoscience courses play and their potential to have a profound impact on students and instructors alike. Our webinar presenters are Anne Egger, Central Washington University, and Karen Viskupic, Boise State University.
Our presenters will share results from their recent curriculum development project focused on engaging students in the practices of science in a learning environment where all students feel they can contribute; these results include the impacts, the curricular materials themselves, and the conditions necessary for making substantial changes to these important courses. They will also share opportunities to be supported in making those changes in your own setting.
Please consider registering yourself or inviting any of your faculty or colleagues who may be interested in this month's topic. Even if you cannot make the session, but want to be informed about the recording, please register and we will notify you as soon as the recording is available.
STEMSEAS: Opportunities for undergraduates to experience science at sea
Register before September 25
Virtual - September 25, 2025, 9 AM HST | 11 AM AKDT | 12 PM PDT | 1 PM MDT | 2 PM CDT | 3 PM EDT (1 hour)
Presenters Sharon Cooper (LDEO), Lisa White (UCMP), and Alondra Infante (Lake Charles Charter Academy), STEMSEAS program leaders, share the program's structure and opportunities at the intersection between academic preparation, career exploration, U.S. research vessel operators, and scientists. They will share how to apply as either a student or a mentor/trip leader, and highlight the impacts of the program, both quantitative and qualitative, on participants. By the end of this webinar, participants will:
- Understand the rationale and history of the STEMSEAS program
- Have all the information they need to apply as either a student or a mentor
- Be able to share information with their students/colleagues
- Understand the impact of the program
Presentations will take place through a Zoom Meeting screen-sharing session. The webinar will be recorded. Instructions for joining the webinar will be emailed to participants the day before the event. Learn more about accessing the webinar.
Questions? Please contact Ashley (they/them) at acarlson2@carleton.edu if you have any questions about this event.
Register before September 25, 2025
NAGT Webinars are on YouTube!
Did you miss a webinar hosted by NAGT? Check out the NEW NAGT Webinar Series YouTube Channel! Find a selection of recordings from webinars in the series and sponsored projects at your fingertips. Remember to subscribe!
Fireside Chats
Holding Ground: Navigating as a DEI Advocate in Hostile Climates
Virtual - Saturday, September 13, 2025, 11:00 AM PT | 12:00 PM MT | 1:00 PM CT | 2:00 PM ET
Connect with fellow DEI advocates in geoscience. Share your story. Get support. Keep going.
DEI work in geoscience education is as urgent as it is exhausting, especially in increasingly hostile environments. Whether you're holding ground in your department, building coalitions, or just trying to make it through the semester, you're not alone. Join fellow geoscience educators, including past NAGT Excellence in JEDI award winners, for a community-centered conversation about the realities of advocating for justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in today's climate.
Structure of the Chat
- First Hour — Structured yet relaxed. Guided discussion on key themes, with plenty of space for reflection. This portion concludes with a soft stop, and participants can choose to leave or stay.
- Second Hour (Optional) — Open space, deeper connection. Participant-driven conversation. Bring your questions, your stories, or just your presence. Stay for deeper discussion, mutual support, and co-thinking.
Come as you are. Stay for as long as you need. Whether you're burned out, fired up, or somewhere in between, we're holding this space for you.
Regional Sections
NAGT Regional Sections are the grassroots of geoscience education in North America. The 2023 reorganization of Sections focused members' efforts on regional issues. If you haven't connected with your section leadership, we encourage you to do so! Check out the Regional Section Web pages to learn more about your Section and efforts to engage and support geoscience education in your region.
Topical Divisions
Geo2YC Division
The Geo2YC Division is a home for NAGT members who have a shared professional interest in geoscience education at two-year colleges. Two-year college faculty are an integral part of NAGT.
Apply now for the Geo2YC Faculty Development Grant!
The NAGT Geo2YC Division supports the promotion of geoscience education in two-year colleges. Applications are open now for mini-grants of up to $500 and travel grants of $100. These grants are available to members of the NAGT Geo2YC Division.
Applications due Sept 15 Join Geo2YC
Geoscience Education Research (GER) Division
The Geoscience Education Research Division (GER) is committed to the promotion of high-quality, scholarly research in geoscience education that improves teaching and learning in K-12, higher education, and informal learning environments.
Teacher Education (TED) Division
The NAGT Teacher Education Division (TED) seeks to improve geoscience teaching by improving teacher content and pedagogical knowledge and by encouraging research on best teaching practices. TED is in search of a new Media Director! We have a great leadership team. Do you want to know what we've been up to? Do you want to stay informed about how the Teacher Education Division supports you, as members of NAGT and TED? Find us on Facebook!
Exchanging Knowledge in Geoscience Education Research
Virtual - Thursday, September 18, 2025, 9:30 AM PT | 10:30 AM MT | 11:30 AM CT | 12:30 PM ET (1 hour duration)
Are you interested in enhancing your research design and methodology skills in an informal, collaborative setting? The GER Monthly Knowledge Exchange is here to help! This casual, interactive monthly Zoom gathering seeks to create a forum for the GER (Geoscience Education Research) community to ask questions and get input from peers without the pressure of formal presentations, build collective capacity, and share resources, ideas, and experiences on a specific topic. No prep required — just bring your curiosity and insights to share!
September's Topic: Using qualitative and quantitative survey data
Join the meeting:
- Meeting ID: 231 316 530 681 7
- Passcode: Qk3dW33A
Have ideas about knowledge exchange in the geosciences? Suggest a topic for a future session by adding it to our topic calendar. Also, visit the summary of shared insights from our prior meeting on "Studying How We Use AI in the Classroom" here.
Let's learn and grow together. See you there!
Looking to connect with a wide audience in the geoscience education community? Post your job openings, postdoctoral positions, internships, assistantships, or undergraduate research opportunities on the NAGT Career Hub! Your posting will be featured on the NAGT Career Hub website, posted on NAGT's social media, and included in next month's NAGTNews newsletter!
Mount Holyoke College - Assistant Professor in Earth Science
The Department of Geology and Geography at Mount Holyoke College invites applications for a tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant Professor in Earth Science, to begin July 1, 2026. They are searching for a geoscientist whose research interests are in the earth, ocean, atmospheric, or polar sciences or in geoscience education. They seek candidates who have potential for outstanding scholarly contributions in research and a demonstrated commitment to accessible and inclusive pedagogy. Review of applications begins October 1, 2025.
Available Samples 
Desired Specimens
- A small rural school needs a classroom rock and mineral collection
- #50States50Rocks
- Precambrian chert. Stromatolites
- Science Department Head/Earth Science Teacher
- Deformation Microstructures
Post available samples and desired specimens in the Rock and Mineral Exchange
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