NAGTNews - Vol 26 - No 7

Initial Publication Date: July 9, 2026
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The 2026 Earth Educators' Rendezvous is right around the corner!

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

We look forward to seeing many of you later this month in Columbia, South Carolina at the 11th Earth Educators' Rendezvous (EER)! Registration is still open and we invite you to join fellow researchers and practitioners working in all aspects of undergraduate Earth education, including a mix of college faculty, graduate students, and K-12 teachers from all disciplines interested in improving their teaching about Earth.

Check out the Program and 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.

The EER26 Shirt was designed by Erin Smoak at the American Meteorological Society. Order yours and check out all the EER Gear at the NAGT Store.

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

July's Article of the Month

For July 2026, the editorial staff of JGE selected "Small number estimation in undergraduate college students and applications to understanding fluid-Earth science," by Peggy M. McNeal, Rachel A. Myer, and Thomas F. Shipley, and published online March 6, 2026. Congratulations, Authors!

In The Trenches

The July 2026 In The Trenches featured article is "Using the History of Research on Continental Drift to Promote Learning the Nature of Science," by NAGT members David Rudge and Queen Roach. The authors share this paper to present a historically grounded instructional unit designed for a course for pre-service secondary education majors.

Do you have a new instructional strategy or geoscience education concept that you would like to share and get feedback on? Consider writing a short article about your topic 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.

July's Teach the Earth Featured Resource: Detecting Cascadia's changing shape with GPS | Lessons on Plate Tectonics

This instructional module was created by Nancy West, Shelley Olds, and David Thesenga. Students use data, hands-on physical models, and computer simulations to understand subduction zone tectonics, plate tectonics, earthquakes, tsunamis, faulting, and folding.

Workshops at the Earth Educators' Rendezvous

Register for EER 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

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

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!

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.

Topical Division News

NAGT Divisions bring together members who share a specific professional interest, from formation to self-governance under Division-elected officers. Current Divisions include Geo2YC (Two-Year College Division), GER (Geoscience Education Research Division), and TED (Teacher Education Division). Each Division sets its own meeting schedule, retains its own dues, and holds a seat on the Association Council through its President, giving members both a focused community and a direct voice in NAGT's national governance.

GER Division News

Coming soon, back by popular demand, will be the GER Division newsletter! To keep it sustainable and not overwhelm your inboxes, we will be publishing a quarterly version of the GER Exchange starting this fall. Please help us kick this off and keep it going! Do you have an upcoming GER-focused conference or professional development opportunity the community should know about? Or know a GER researcher who's doing fantastic work that should be spotlighted? We have a new and improved newsletter content submission page where you can tell us all about it!

Contribute to the GER Newsletter

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: Enhancing Spatial Thinking and Visual Literacy in the Geosciences

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: Geoscience Instructor Perspectives on Analogies in the Classroom

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.