Initial Publication Date: March 12, 2026

NAGT is grateful for our Members

Thank you for being a member of NAGT. We hope that you are taking advantage of the many benefits of membership, including discounted registrations for NAGT professional development, access to Teach the Earth online resources, online access to NAGT's Journal of Geoscience Education and In the Trenches, this monthly email newsletter, supportive communities and networks, including our regional Sections and topical Divisions, eligibility for awards and grants and scholarships, and leadership opportunities at the regional and national level.

NAGT's partners and affiliates support you through a variety of benefits as well! The Geological Society of America offers discount registration rates for the annual GSA Connects meeting. Taylor & Francis provides online access to the Journal of Environmental Education and online access to Science Activities, which you can access through your membership page. AGI offers free access to the Geologize online course, "Practical Geocommunication." And now you can get a 30% Member Discount for Brunton when you use the code NAGT_30.

Join us at the 2026 Earth Educators' Rendezvous!

University of South Carolina in Columbia, SC, July 20-23, 2026

We are getting very excited to meet up with our community at the 11th Earth Educators' Rendezvous (EER), which will be held July 20-23, 2026, at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina. Register now to participate in the 2026 EER 4-day conference.

Early Bird Registration - May 5

Check out the Program!

When you register, select one of the 4-day or two of the 2-day Morning Workshops. Fill your afternoons by attending Afternoon Workshops, oral and poster sessions, a Share-a-thon, exhibitor showcase, and the Townhall. Recharge in the evenings by connecting with colleagues, old and new.

You can register separately for one or both of the two stand-alone field trips. On Sunday, July 19, learn about Geomorphology and Flooding in the Congaree National Park. On Friday, July 24, visit the Eocene sedimentary outcrops at Peachtree Rock Heritage Park and learn about the Greenhouse conditions of the Eocene Epoch.

Field Trip Registration

You can still contribute to the EER26 Program!

Share your work and innovative ideas at this summer's Earth Educators' Rendezvous. The deadline for late poster abstracts and share-a-thon submissions is May 18!

Submit a Late Poster Abstract by May 18 Submit a Late Share-a-thon Presentation by May 18

Get Involved in NAGT Leadership - Nominate Today

Nominations are open for Executive Committee, Section, and Division leadership positions. Learn about NAGT's leadership team and nominate yourself or a colleague who might be looking for ways to impact geoscience education, education advocacy, diversity and inclusion in the geosciences, GER, regional geoscience education, and more. A leadership role in an NAGT committee, Division, or section is a great next step! To nominate for a Section or Division position, contact the leader of that Section or Division. Nominations are open for the following national positions:

2nd Vice-President
Councilors-at-Large (2)

Questions about national positions can be directed to the chair of the nominations committee, Past President Rory McFadden. Elections occur in June and terms begin at the NAGT Annual Council Meeting in October 2026. Self-nominations are welcome!

Learn More

Or maybe, get your feet wet by joining an NAGT Committee?

Much of the work that NAGT accomplishes happens through our committees. Consider joining one of NAGT's committees focused on Professional Development, Programs, Awards, Grants & Scholarships, and Management.

Learn more about NAGT Committees Submit a Committee Nomination

Journal of Geoscience Education

The Journal of Geoscience Education is always looking for submissions related to learning and teaching in the geosciences and related domains.

Submit a paper to JGE View the latest issue of JGE

Article of the Month

Each month, the editorial staff of JGE select a paper to be free to access. For March 2026, they selected "Third-grade students' mental models, concept maps, and self-evaluation of evaporation: Examining model-based reasoning and instruction across classrooms," by Melissa Hulings, Brenda Costello, and Cory T. Forbes, and published online in December, 2025. Congratulations, Authors!

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!

In this month's featured In The Trenches article, NAGT members Daniel Hummer and Michael Phillips present, Advocating Science: A Guide to Meeting with Legislators on National Science Policy. Learn strategies that will help you make a difference for all of science.

Suggest ITT Content Submit an Article

Explore Exemplary Teach the Earth Activities

Teach the Earth 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.

March's Teach the Earth Featured Resource: LEGO® Magma Crystallization Activity

Check out this innovative activity by Jessica Larsen at the University of Alaska Fairbanks! Students use LEGO® blocks to learn how zoned crystals can form in magmas. The exercise also shows how the surrounding melt changes in composition as crystals continue to grow. Linked with an explanation of Bowen's Reaction Series, the LEGO® magma model can help teach the concept of why crystals have different growth zones and how fractional crystallization can create different magma compositions.

NAGT Outstanding TA Awardees

NAGT celebrates the January 2026 Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award winners! These graduate and undergraduate TAs have demonstrated exceptional teaching abilities and will receive a one-year membership in NAGT. Look for a full write-up about each of the awardees in an upcoming issue of In The Trenches.

Christopher Chalmers, University of California, Irvine
Annalee Chiaviello, Clemson University
Victoria Concepcíon, Arizona State University
Makinna Dulcich, Cabrillo College
Nandana Goswami, University of South Carolina
Dongyi Guo, Miami University, Ohio
Devina Kalika, CUNY Queens College
Jessie McCraw, University of Alabama

Michael Park, University of Minnesota, Duluth

J.D. Ross, University of South Carolina

Mysti Stotts, Tennessee Tech University

Rania Taib, CUNY Queens College

Benny Thoms-Warzecha, University of South Carolina

Cameron Tripp, University of Michigan

Olivia Viskupic, James Madison University

David Young, Central Washington University

It's Nomination Season! Take a look at all the different ways to recognize your and your colleagues' innovations and exceptional contributions.

Nominate today for NAGT Awards

Nomination Deadline: April 15

NAGT awards are presented annually, with nominations solicited from the community and awardees selected by committees. These awards include the following:

More Information on Association Awards

Apply now for Dorothy Stout Grants

Nomination Deadline: April 15

Dottie Stout was the first female president of NAGT and was active as a strong supporter of Earth science education at all levels. In honor of Dottie's outstanding work and lifelong dedication to Earth science education, NAGT gives these grants to faculty and students at two-year colleges and K-12 teachers. Grants of $750 will be made annually in three categories: Community College Faculty, Community College Student, and K-12 Educator. Grantees will also be given a one-year membership to the National Association of Geoscience Teachers including these member benefits.

Learn more about and submit a Dorothy Stout Grant Proposal

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!

NAGT Workshops

Course Design Workshop

Online Workshop: June 8, 10, 15, 17, 22, and 24, 2026
9:30 am - 11:00 am PT | 10:30 am - 12:00 pm MT | 11:30 am - 1:00 pm CT | 12:30 - 2:00 pm ET

Are you developing a new course or revising a course you have taught before? This workshop will help you use backwards design to generate assessments and instructional activities that meet both content and skills-based objectives. This highly interactive, synchronous online workshop will provide time for you to build foundational knowledge of best practices for course design, share strategies and exchange ideas with colleagues, work independently on developing your course, and provide and receive feedback from peers.

Workshop for Early Career Geoscience Faculty

In-person at Macalester College, St. Paul, MN | June 21-25, 2026

Faculty in the first three years of their position are invited to join this multi-day workshop that features sessions on topics including effective and engaging teaching strategies, designing a course, conducting research projects with students, balancing professional and personal responsibilities, managing time, and establishing a research program. Build your network and community of early-career peers.

Learn more about the workshop and apply by March 31

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.

Request a Traveling Workshop »

NAGT Webinars

Your Resources, Elevated: Using NotebookLM to Power Student Inquiry

March 24, 3:00 pm PT | 4:00 pm MT | 5:00 pm CT | 6:00 pm ET

Brought to you by the NAGT-NESTA K12 Collaborative and presenters Diane Ripollone (NESTA), Aida Awad (NAGT), and Missy Holzer (NESTA), this webinar promises to support teachers who are ready to transform how their students interact with a variety of Earth Science learning materials while ensuring their inquiries stay focused and evidence-based. Join us for an interactive, hands-on webinar where you will move beyond the use of web searches to explore how the AI behind NotebookLM grounds learning in the course resources YOU provide.

In this session, we will provide an overview of NotebookLM and share the experiences of a high school Earth Science teacher using NotebookLM with students, and you will step into the role of a student to experience how NotebookLM creates an AI environment rooted in a curated collection of resources rather than generic web content. Working through a model Earth Science unit, you will learn how to guide students in using NotebookLM's Studio tools to learn from diverse sources such as readings, simulations, slide decks, etc. Finally, you will learn to create your own Notebook housing your specific resources.

Catch past NAGT Webinars on YouTube!

Did you miss a webinar hosted by NAGT? Check out the NAGT Webinar Series YouTube Channel! Find a selection of recordings from webinars in the series and sponsored projects at your fingertips. Remember to subscribe!

Preparing for an Academic Career in the Geosciences

In-person at the 2026 Earth Educator Rendezvous, Columbia, South Carolina | July 20-23, 2026

Join this highly interactive four-day workshop at the Earth Educators' Rendezvous. The workshop is designed specifically for graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and others interested in pursuing academic careers in the geosciences. (Faculty already in full-time positions should consider attending the Workshop for Early Career Geoscience Faculty described above.) Workshop facilitators will lead sessions and provide guidance that will help participants become stronger candidates for academic positions and succeed in academic jobs, including:

Selecting the right institutional fit
Crafting competitive research and teaching statements
Securing your first grant
Meeting tenure requirements
Developing your career plan

Participants will practice developing their job application materials, refine their elevator pitch, and create actionable plans for their next career stage.

Stipends Available: Limited stipends are offered thanks to NAGT member donations.

Learn more about the workshop and apply for Stipend by April 15 » Register for EER26 »

2026 Geoscience Field Course Offerings

Field Camp Scholarships image Small version) In an effort to help students and faculty find options for Summer 2026 field course offerings, NAGT is compiling a list of field courses of all formats. This list includes online, in-person, and hybrid programs that have space for additional students. Are you a field camp/course director with space for additional enrollment in your summer 2026 course? We invite you to add your program to the list.

Please share the field course list with others who may be interested in participating in these programs.

Fresh Solutions to Salty Struggles Summer Camp for Undergrads: Exploring Soil Salinization Dynamics

East Carolina University, Greenville and Wanchese, North Carolina, July 12-25, 2026

The Fresh Solutions to Salty Struggles (FS3) Summer Program invites undergraduate students to embark on a two-week journey exploring the science of soil salinization and saltwater intrusion. Participants in this opportunity are eligible to receive financial support, such as stipends, travel reimbursements, and conference funding. This program is ideal for undergraduate students with an interest in environmental science, agriculture, geology, or related fields.

Students in the FS3 Program will work hands-on with advanced geophysical and hydrogeological methods to uncover the dynamics of saltwater intrusion in agricultural and coastal landscapes. Field experiences include day trips to local research sites in North Carolina and overnight travel to sites in Virginia. Students will collaborate with peers and researchers to analyze data sets and explore spatial and temporal controls on soil salinization. This immersive experience equips participants with critical, industry-aligned skills and connects them with leading scientists in the field, building a network for future educational and career opportunities.

Application Deadline April 30!

Your Regional Section is Growing!

Come be a part of the action. 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.

Eastern Section

Join us for the Eastern Section's Spring 2026 meeting, hosted by Callan Bentley at Piedmont Virginia Community College in Charlottesville, Virginia, May 7-9, 2026. If you have not attended a meeting in several years, or have never attended a meeting, why not make the plans now and consider joining us in Charlottesville, Virginia, for the spring 2026 meeting? If you haven't already, be sure to check out our newsletter: Fall 2025 NAGT-ES Bulletin CB.pdf.

Pacific Northwest Section

Our next annual meeting will be hosted in June 2026, at Highline College in Des Moines, Washington by Jacob Selander, jselander@highline.edu. More information on our upcoming June 2026 meeting or last year's June Annual Meeting in Portland, Oregon can be found on the section's annual meeting web page.

Rocky Mountain Section

Check out our January 2026 RM NAGT Newsletter. We will have a booth and are sponsoring a student session at the 76th Annual Meeting of the GSA Rocky Mountain Section in Albuquerque, New Mexico, 17-20 May 2026!

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. Explore the seasonal Geo2YC Newsletter!

Join Geo2YC

Geo2YC wants to support your ideas!

Two grant options via NAGT for 2YC educators to support your teaching and professional development are the Dorothy Stout Grant and the Geo2YC Faculty Development Grant. See the Geo2YC website for further information. Applications are due for both on April 15.

Nominations are being accepted for Geo2YC's Outstanding Adjunct Faculty Award

This award recognizes the fantastic work being undertaken by geoscience instructors who are adjuncts at two-year colleges. We want to recognize those people who go above and beyond to communicate geoscience. As there is one winner selected per quarter for the first three quarters of the year, there is a rolling deadline for submission. Quarterly winners receive a year's free membership in NAGT as well as the Geo2YC Division. In the fourth quarter, one of the three quarterly winners is selected as the overall winner, who will receive a $1,000 stipend from McGraw Hill to use for professional development or classroom support. Self-nominations are encouraged. For more information and to apply, please see https://nagt.org/nagt/divisions/2yc/oafa.html

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.

Join GER

Geoscience Education Research (GER) Division Awards

The Geoscience Education Research Division (GER) offers three awards that recognize individuals at different stages in their careers. The nomination window is April 1 - June 1. For more information and to nominate, please go to https://nagt.org/nagt/divisions/geoed/ger_awards.html.

The Early Career Award is linked to the career stage associated with the formation and establishment of one's research area. To be eligible for this award, a nominee must be an active member of the NAGT-GER Division. Furthermore, it is an eligibility requirement that the nominee be in the last two years of a PhD program or in the first three years of a GER position/career.
The Collaboration and Growth Award is linked to the mid-career stage, associated with the expansion of one's research area through collaborations and growth. Such collaboration and growth lead to advances in one or more research areas. This award emphasizes interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research. There are two eligibility options for this award.
The Transformation Award is linked to the advanced career stage, associated with generativity and transformation that represent investments in GER scholars across generations. To be eligible for this award, a nominee must be an active member of the NAGT-GER Division. Furthermore, it is recommended (but not required) that the nominee be 15 years or more into their GER career. This award honors colleagues who have made and continue to make outstanding contributions to GER, GER's applications to geoscience education, and capacity building within the GER community commensurate with an advanced career stage.

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!

Join TED

Exchanging Knowledge in Geoscience Education Research

March 20, 9:30 am - 10:30 am PT | 10:30 am - 11:30 am MT | 11:30 am - 12:30 pm CT | 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm ET

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 online 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!

Topic: What can Social Network Analysis teach us at the field and classroom levels?
Join the Teams Meeting: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/25376411501817?p=y6AzUtOMV5FyCdFKWr
Meeting ID: 253 764 115 018 17
Passcode: Uz6UG7Fi

We'd love your input! 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 Debriefing from the "Status of the Field of DBER Workshop." Let's learn and grow together. See you there!

CIRES-CEEE Resilient Futures Teacher Workshop 2026

Boulder, Colorado: July 28-30, 2026

Pre-registration is now open for the 2026 Resilient Futures Teacher Workshop! Middle school and high school educators are invited to a three-day in-person teacher workshop. Engage with sessions on education resources, including scientist talks, lab tours, and networking sessions by CEEE, NOAA, and friends. This session will cover topics such as climate science, natural hazards, water resources, climate mental health, data literacy, and more. Participants will leave with a variety of classroom-ready lessons and activities. They can receive a 20-hour PD certificate OR 1-2 Continuing Education credits from the University of Colorado Boulder upon course completion.

After pre-registration closes, a small registration fee will be required when the official registration opens. Participants who complete the course will receive a gift card.

Pre-Register Today

AGU Action: Sign on in opposition to the U.S. leaving the IPCC and other critical global climate and environment organizations and treaties

The American Geophysical Union (AGU) invites you to join scientists from diverse climate, Earth, and environmental disciplines in denouncing the U.S. withdrawal from global organizations and treaties addressing climate change and environmental degradation. At a time when climate impacts—including uninsurable homes, agricultural losses, damaged infrastructure, and health crises—are accelerating and requiring hundreds of billions of dollars in annual recovery costs, this withdrawal represents a critical setback. By removing U.S. scientific expertise from bodies such as the UNFCCC, WHO, and UN environmental agencies, it creates avoidable gaps in data, research, and capacity that will slow global progress precisely when coordinated action is most urgent. Sign this petition to call on the Trump Administration to re-engage with international cooperation and recognize that climate and environmental challenges can only be addressed through global scientific collaboration and evidence-based decision-making to secure a livable future for all.

Learn more and sign on at https://agu.quorum.us/campaign/152816/

2026 Immersive Institute Application Now Open

Juneau, Alaska from June 29 – July 3, 2026
Applications due March 13

The Immersive Institute is an opportunity for early career geoscientists seeking to build their community-based research capacity. This year we are partnering with Sealaska Heritage Institute to learn about the partnerships they have built and sustained over years. If you are or know of any early career geoscientists interested in community partnership, please apply and/or share this opportunity.

When building meaningful and reciprocal relationships with communities, going beyond theory and into practice takes intention, care, and willingness. The Immersive Institute is a dedicated space for early career faculty (postdocs to assistant professors), who are on a mission to take their community-centered research practice to a deeper level. The 2026 Immersive Institute will be held in Juneau, AK, June 29-July 3. Our featured partnership will be the Sealaska Heritage Institute. We invite participants to invest their time in a week-long facilitated community research and learning experience. Learn how to co-develop realistic timelines, embrace bumps along the way, develop cultural fluency, and keep partnerships generative and mutually beneficial.

Learn more and apply for the ASPIRE Immersive Institute at https://aspiregeoscience.org/programmatic-offerings/immersive-institute/

Instructor Workshop: Teaching Near-surface Geophysics Workshop to Undergraduates from Intro to Majors

Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado, July 7-9, 2026
Applications due by March 27, 2026

This in-person GETSI workshop equips undergraduate Earth science instructors with the skills to incorporate near-surface geophysics into undergraduate courses – GPR, seismic, resistivity, and RTK-GPS methods. Travel support available. Sponsored by the NSF Geophysical Facility. Learn more and apply at https://serc.carleton.edu/getsi/workshops/Summ2026_field/application.html

Northwestern University - Visiting Assistant Professor of Instruction in Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences

Completed applications will be reviewed beginning March 2, 2026

Visiting Assistant Professor teaching 200-level courses (major and introductory) in a one-year appointment, with an option to renew for a second year. Also teaching upper level courses in sub-disciplines, which align with expertise and prior teaching experience and the curricular needs of the department.

Bucknell University - Visiting Assistant Professor Of Geology

Review of applications will begin March 16, 2026, and continue until the position is filled.

The visiting professor will teach two Physical & Environmental Geology lecture sections and two accompanying lab sections in the fall semester and two Evolution of the Earth sections and two accompanying lab sections in the spring semester. Both courses are taught at the introductory level and serve both majors and non-majors. Each section is capped at 24 students.

Lehigh University - Educational Innovation Associate or Full Teaching Professor

Review of applications will begin March 23, 2026, and continue until the position is filled.

Lehigh University invites applications from exceptionally innovative and experienced educators for a Teaching Associate Professor or Teaching Full Professor position (non-tenure track) who will play a leading role in advancing educational innovation and supporting excellence in disciplinary and interdisciplinary teaching. A start date of July 1, 2026, is anticipated. This position is a renewable, fixed-term, non-tenure-track, full-time position. The initial term of appointment will be from three to five years.