Bowling Green, Ky. -A Western Kentucky University faculty member is taking a key role in a five-year campaign to improve geographic education.

Scott Dobler, a geography instructor and coordinator of the Kentucky Geographic Alliance, is working to promote My Wonderful World, an educational campaign launched this week by the National Geographic Society.

A National Geographic-Roper survey shows many young Americans can’t locate nations like Japan, India or Iraq and can’t locate the states of Louisiana and Mississippi, which were hit by hurricanes last year.

“Our young people don’t know enough about geography, so we can either complain about it or do something about it,” Dobler said. “Fortunately the Kentucky Geographic Alliance is already engaging this topic. National Geographic has empowered people like me at the grassroots level.”

The My Wonderful World campaign (www.mywonderfulworld.org) is addressing geographic education at the national, state and local level. The campaign fits the KGA’s main purpose, which is to continue geographic education for all of our citizens. The KGA provides teacher training and family activities throughout the year.

“I want people to understand that as our world globalizes, events around the world have a larger impact on each of us,” Dobler said. “Geography provides people with essential information that they can integrate into better decisions for themselves. At that time you can explain issues instead of repeating what others say.

“Geography is more than maps. The My Wonderful World campaign helps teachers, parents and students understand that concept,” Dobler said.

For example, three recent issues in the news – the war in Iraq, concerns about rising oil prices and the immigration rallies across the United States – are all integrated into geographic themes. Geography also integrates directly to history, economics, political science, sociology, psychology and other disciplines, he said.

“Just understanding where something is located is the first step,” Dobler said. “Understanding why it’s there is next.
“That’s what I love about geography. It pulls everything into one idea.  If you like geography, the world needs your help now.”

For more about geographic education, visit the KGA website at www.kga.org.  Additional geography resources for teachers, students and parents are available at www.mywonderfulworld.org

More WKU news is available at www.wku.edu. If you’d like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.

For information, contact Scott Dobler at (270) 745-7078.

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