NAGTNews - Vol 26 - No 5

Initial Publication Date: May 14, 2026
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Happy 88th Birthday, NAGT!

On May 13, NAGT celebrated the anniversary of its founding meeting, held in 1938 at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. What began as an informal gathering of five geology teachers at a field conference in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin in October 1937, had grown into a movement. At that May meeting, colleagues endorsed the formation of a permanent association dedicated to the exchange of ideas among those engaged in geological education. From those modest origins, the organization evolved through successive name changes and structural expansions into the National Association of Geoscience Teachers we know today, a testament to what founder Kurt E. Lowe called "the spread of a great idea."

Join us at the 2026 Earth Educators' Rendezvous!

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

Will we see you at the 11th Earth Educators' Rendezvous (EER)? Join us July 20-23, 2026, at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina for four days of learning, collaboration, and community. Register now for EER26!

Workshop Stipends are still available!

Some of the workshops still have stipends available. Register today, participate in those workshops, and you will be eligible to receive those stipends.

Order your EER26 Shirt Today!

Congratulations to Erin Smoak at the American Meteorological Society for creating the winning t-shirt design for the 2026 Earth Educators' Rendezvous! Purchase your T-shirt or tank top today!

Order your EER26 Gear TODAY!

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.

Register for one or both EER26 Field Trips

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. The deadline to register is June 12, 2026.

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, 2026 Submit a Late Share-a-thon Presentation
by May 18, 2026

Help your graduating students launch their careers

Do you have a student who is graduating this spring and is interested in teaching? Help them get started in their career by gifting them a membership in NAGT or making a donation in their honor. NAGT supports geoscience educators at all stages of their careers - help your students get to know what we offer.

Donate Today!

Share the Benefits of NAGT Membership with a Colleague

Discounted registration for EER26 and other professional development is just the start. Members also get:

Online access to Journal of Geoscience Education and In the Trenches
Teach the Earth resources
Regional Sections and Topical Divisions
Awards
Grants & Scholarships
Leadership opportunities at the regional and national level

Plus partner perks: Discounted GSA Connects registration, free access to AGI's Practical Geocommunication course, Taylor & Francis journals (Journal of Environmental Education and Science Activities) — and 30% off Brunton with code NAGT_30.

Are you getting everything your membership offers? Log in and explore.

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

May's Article of the Month

For May 2026, the editorial staff of JGE selected "Strengthening pathways to graduate education on Guam by addressing the hidden curriculum: Results from a program evaluation," by Theresa N. Melton, Cheryl R. Sangueza, Rachel Becker-Klein, Kristin R. Wilson Grimes, Jennifer A. Sandoval, and María F. Barberena-Arias, and published online February 6, 2026. Congratulations, Authors!

In The Trenches

Did you teach a new course or try a new instructional strategy last semester? How did it go? Maybe you are preparing a summer field course? Consider writing a short article about your teaching experiences in NAGT's interactive online publication, In The Trenches. ITT is 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!

Suggest ITT Content Submit an Article

Explore Exemplary Teach the Earth Activities

Teach the Earth Header 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.

May's Teach the Earth Featured Resource: Engaging with Earthquake Hazard and Risk

Jennifer Pickering, Alaska Pacific University and Anchorage School District and Erin Schneider, Anchorage School District, created this introductory activity to engage learners with the study of earthquake hazards and the risk these hazards pose to humans in the communities in which we live. Learners are introduced to geologic site effects (such as sediment type, saturation, and depth) that affect the intensity of shaking experienced at any given location during an earthquake. Learners will compare three maps of Anchorage, AK, depicting spatial information related to seismic hazards to generate questions about additional factors besides site effects that influence shaking intensity and damage to the built environment during earthquakes.

Geoscience Education Research (GER) Division Awards

Nomination Deadline: June 1

Nominate yourself or a colleague for one of three awards recognizing GER contributors at every career stage:

Early Career Award — For NAGT-GER members in the final two years of a PhD program or within three years of entering the field.
Collaboration & Growth Award — For mid-career researchers advancing interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary GER. (Two eligibility pathways available.)
Transformation Award — For advanced-career colleagues whose sustained contributions have shaped GER and built community capacity.

Nominations due June 1

Outstanding Teaching Assistant Awards

Nomination Deadline: June 15

The Outstanding Teaching Assistant Awards recognize undergraduate and graduate students for their work as teaching assistants. Up to 30 awards are given annually. The next nomination deadline for the Outstanding Teaching Assistant awards is June 15.

Nominations due June 15

Journal of Geoscience Education (JGE) Awards

Nomination Deadline: June 15

JGE awards are presented annually with nominations solicited from JGE readers, authors, and editors.

The Outstanding Paper Award recognizes a paper that exhibits one or more of the following characteristics: (1) innovative enhancement of student learning, which is documented and assessed, (2) advancement of the discipline of geoscience education, and (3) broad societal impact of vital and significant high-quality geoscience education.

The Outstanding Reviewer Award recognizes a reviewer who (1) provides reviews of exceptional quality, (2) completes reviews more quickly than average, and/or (3) completes more reviews than average.

Nominations due June 15

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!

Online Workshops

Register today for the Course Design Workshop

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

Workshops at the Earth Educators' Rendezvous

Register Today

Four-day Workshops

Monday, July 20 - Thursday, July 23 | 8:30am - 11:30am

Preparing for an Academic Career in the Geosciences - For graduate students and post-docs.
Designing Activities to Engage Students and Enhance Learning in Quantitatively Challenging Geoscience Content
Unlocking the Potential of your Introductory Geoscience Course

Monday-Tuesday Workshops

Monday, July 20 - Tuesday, July 21 | 8:30am - 11:30am

Wednesday-Thursday Workshops

Wednesday, July 22 - Thursday, July 23 | 8:30am - 11:30am

Teaching Computation with MATLAB (and GenAI) 2026 Educator Workshop

Carleton College, Northfield, MN - October 25-27, 2026

This three-day in-person workshop at Carleton College brings together educators in discipline-focused groups to explore MATLAB teaching tools, including MATLAB Copilot, Course Designer, Live Notebooks, and MATLAB Grader. There will also be an emphasis on integrating Generative AI into course curriculum. Through training sessions, peer talks, and dedicated work time, participants develop concrete, goal-specific classroom approaches supported by MathWorks staff and colleagues. Stipends are available!

Applications due June 15 Apply for a Stipend by June 15

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

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!

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, including 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.

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. 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, and 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.

Learn more about the workshop Register for EER26 »

Summer Workshop on Water Resources Management

Synchronous Online - June 15-16, 2026 | Asynchronous Online - June 17-26, 2026

Join us this summer for an engaging, hands-on workshop exploring real-world challenges in water resources management. Designed for undergraduate students from any major enrolled at U.S. universities, this hybrid program combines two online live sessions (June 15–16) with an asynchronous component (June 17–26), offering flexibility while building meaningful skills.

Participants will examine issues such as water scarcity, pollution, and governance through interactive activities, case studies, and peer discussions. Using tools like game theory and multi-criteria decision-making, students will explore how communities make complex decisions about shared water resources and develop collaborative solutions.

A stipend is available for undergraduate participants. Spots are limited.

Apply by May 31!

Regional Section News

NAGT Section and Division Officer nominations are due May 15.

Connect with your section leadership today to be a part of grassroots efforts to elevate geoscience education. Check out the Regional Section web pages to learn more about your Section and efforts to engage and support geoscience education in your region.

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

Find us at our booth at the 76th Annual Meeting of the GSA Rocky Mountain Section in Albuquerque, New Mexico, 17-20 May 2026!

Division News

Geo2YC Division

See our Spring 2026 Geo2YC Newsletter!

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 the Outstanding Adjunct Faculty Award page.

Geoscience Education Research (GER) Division

Nominations open now for Geoscience Education Research (GER) Division Awards

Nomination Deadline: June 1

The Early Career Award for NAGT-GER members who are in the last two years of a PhD program or in the first three years of a GER career
The Collaboration and Growth Award for mid-career researchers. There are two eligibility options for this award.
The Transformation Award for colleagues at an advanced career stage.

Visit the Geoscience Education Research (GER) Division Awards page to learn more and nominate.

Join a Division

Special Issue on Spatial Thinking in the Geosciences

Preferred deadline: June 1, 2026. Accepting manuscripts through July 15, 2026.

Do you have a manuscript you have been meaning to finish? Consider contributing to a Special Issue of the open-access journal Education Sciences (ISSN: 2227-7102) entitled, "Enhancing Spatial Thinking and Visual Literacy in the Geosciences."

Original research and review articles are welcome by the June 1 deadline (preferred). Manuscripts that complement the existing papers in this special issue may be given a waiver of the publication fee.

For further details, please visit https://www.mdpi.com/journal/education/special_issues/52G4YFX76R

2026 Seismology Skill Building Workshop

Online: June 8 - August 28, 2026

REGISTER NOW! The 2026 Seismology Skill Building Workshop (SSBW) is open for registration through June 1: 12-weeks of online scientific computing with a seismology focus, designed for undergrads, grad students, faculty, and professionals alike — at no cost.

Past participants speak for themselves: over 90% gained practical skills unavailable elsewhere, more than 85% would recommend it to a colleague, and 70% credit the workshop certificate with advancing their career goals.

Share it with your students. Or claim a spot yourself.

CIRES-CEEE Resilient Futures Teacher Workshop 2026

Boulder, Colorado: July 28-30, 2026

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. A small registration fee will be required when the official registration opens. Participants who complete the course will receive a gift card.

GeoSciEd X Conference

Adelaide, Australia: August 14-16, 2026

The 10th International Conference on Geoscience Education, GeoSciEd X, will be hosted in Adelaide, Australia at the Adelaide Botanic High School. The conference theme is "Earth Science Education: Our planet, our future". GeoSciEd is an international conference held every four years focusing on and celebrating Geoscience Education. Our GeoEd focus extends to all levels, pre-primary through retirement, through pedagogical workshops for primary and secondary teachers, pedagogy and outreach for tertiary educators and communication and branding for those working in Geotourism. The Big Ideas Day will engage with those not actively involved in Geoscience Education but with a strong interest in the outcome of this education.

Explore the Program Register Today!