NAGTNews - Vol 26 - No 6

Initial Publication Date: June 11, 2026
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VOTE TODAY! 2026 NAGT Elections are happening now!

NAGT holds annual officer elections for National, Division, and Section officers every Spring. Learn more about the candidates who have volunteered to lead NAGT. This year's ballot includes a question about changes to NAGT's constitution and bylaws, which requires approval from 20% of the membership. Your vote matters, so please participate by voting by July 1!

Vote by July 1

Upcoming Changes to NAGT Membership

NAGT members received a message from our Executive Director, Anne Egger, regarding efforts to streamline NAGT membership and the giving processes. Read the update and check out our updated privacy policy, which reflects the nature of our new partnership with SofterWare. Contact Executive Director, Anne Egger at exdir@nagt.org if you have questions or comments.

In the meantime, continue to enjoy the benefits of membership, including discounted professional development, including registration for EER26, access to Journal of Geoscience Education and In the Trenches, Teach the Earth resources, opportunities through both Regional Sections and Topical Divisions, awards, grants & scholarships, and leadership opportunities at the regional and national level.

And, enjoy perks with our partners! These include 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.

See you at the 2026 Earth Educators' Rendezvous!

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

The 11th Earth Educators' Rendezvous (EER) is right around the corner and we hope you will be joining 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!

EER26 Field Trip Registration Closes Friday, June 12

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.

Check out the Program!

Register today and select one 4-day or two of the 2-day Morning Workshops. Half-day workshops, oral and poster sessions, a Share-a-thon, exhibitor showcase, and the Town Hall are scheduled for the afternoons. Recharge in the evenings by connecting with colleagues, old and new.

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! Check out all the EER Gear and purchase your T-shirt or tank top today!

Order your EER26 Gear TODAY!

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 "Wait, we get to build that?" Outcomes of a co-created, classroom citizen science project for middle schoolers addressing air quality?" by Laura D. Carsten Conner, Carri Forbes, and William Simpson, and published online March 5, 2026. Congratulations, Authors!

In The Trenches

Did you teach a new course or try a new instructional strategy last semester or teaching a summer 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 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.

June's Teach the Earth Featured Resource: Using Field Lab Write-ups to Develop Observational and Critical Thinking Skills

By Kim Hannula, This adaptation of field labs incorporates writing in the form of "Description" and "Interpretation" sections of a geologic report. It can be used in many types of field labs to improve critical thinking and understanding of descriptive terminology.

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!

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

Webinar: Introducing the New Emriver Teaching Collection

Online: June 16, 2026 - 10am PDT | 11am MDT | 12:00pm CDT | 1:00pm EDT

Register today for this webinar that will feature professionals from Emriver as well as geoscience faculty talking about the use of hydrologic models like stream tables and flumes in geoscience education at various levels. Participants will get to ask questions and chat with others who are interested in using these models in their classrooms or who already do. Participants will also be encouraged to submit existing stream table and flume teaching activities to the new collection. Registration deadline is June 14, 2026.

Speakers include Katherine Poulos, Owner, Emriver; Jim King, Director of Production and Design, Emriver; Stephanie Jarvis, John A. Logan College; and Katherine Ryker, University of South Carolina.

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 »

Regional Section News

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.

Join Your Section

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.

Join a Division

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 that focuses on and celebrates 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!

Special Issue on Spatial Thinking in the Geosciences

NEW DEADLINE: December 31, 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." Manuscripts that complement the existing papers in this special issue may be given a waiver of the publication fee.

For further details, contact Nicole LaDue (nladue@niu.edu), and please visit: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/education/special_issues/52G4YFX76R

Do you teach mineralogy, petrology, structure, sedimentology, and/or stratigraphy?

If yes, we would love to hear from you! We are investigating geoscience instructors' perspectives on analogies in upper-level geoscience courses. We are seeking faculty from R1s, R2s, and Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs).

For this study, we are asking geoscience instructors to complete a short 10-minute pre-interview survey. At the end of the pre-interview survey, you will be asked to provide your contact information to set up an approximately 60-minute virtual interview. We will ask how you use analogies in your classroom, your beliefs about analogy effectiveness, and barriers or challenges to using analogies for instruction.

You will be compensated with a $75 Amazon gift card after completing the pre-interview survey and the interview.

If you are interested in participating, please click the following link to access the pre-interview survey: https://niu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3QqUVGJLhjDlsZU

Note: The pre-interview survey will be closed on September 15th, 2026, or once we have reached our goal of interview participants.

If you have any questions about this project, please contact Caden Rhoades (crhoades1@niu.edu), or Dr. Nicole LaDue (nladue@niu.edu) at Northern Illinois University.