GLOBAL CONNECTIONS AND EXCHANGE PROGRAM
My Community, Our Earth
Geographic Learning for Sustainable Development
James Kweku EshunDepartment of Geography and Regional Planning
University of Cape CoastAugust 3, 2012
Through this MyCOE GCE initiative, the AAG seeks to enhance mutual understanding between youth in the United States and their counterparts overseas in ways that draw from and build upon the existing public-private partnership, My Community Our Earth: Geographic Learning for Sustainable Development (MyCOE)
General Objective:
The overarching goal is to empower youth and their teachers to increase environmental, geographic, technological, and cultural literacy so that young people all over the world will be equipped with geographic tools and resources to address the challenges facing their communities and to engage them to develop solutions to bring about sustainable development.
Specific Objective: Engage youth in using the tools and concepts of geography to see how their communities can be made more sustainable
Raise awareness of the importance of geography and geographic technologies to issues of sustainable development
Foster critical thinking and stewardship by youth around the world
ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN GEOGRAPHERS (AAG), SECRETARIAT
ESRI
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY
UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME
US DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
US DEPARTMENT OF STATE
US AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
INTER-AMERICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK
NOAA, NASA, USGS, GLOBE, GEOEYE, 3M, ERDAS, ONR, NSF, AND OTHER PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SUPPORT
The MyCOE Partnership
History of MyCOE
Funding Agency:This program is funded by the U.S. Department of State Youth Programs Division. To see their Global Connections and Exchanges Program webpageMajor Themes
Climate Change, Food Security, Green Economy, Youth Leadership, International Online Exchanges
Teacher TrainingOver a 20-month period, the initiative will train 165 teachers in 23 secondary schools in the US, Bolivia, Ghana, Nicaragua, and the Philippines to use social networking, online mapping, and award-winning content modules from the AAG's Online Center for Global Geographic Education.
Teachers will be supported to interactively implement the curriculum and learning tools in their classrooms, to engage in international electronic dialogue and themed discussion exchanges, and to facilitate the leadership development of 3,068 upper level secondary school students.
Student ProjectsTeams of youth, guided by their teachers and other mentors will design and implement community-based projects that use the MyCOE framework.An estimated 500 projects are anticipated to be conducted through this initiative, which will be uploaded to a new GeoPortal, currently being designed by Esri.
Modified Scientific Method –MyCOE Approach (from Goodchild, 2001)
Youth Project Framework (Spring 2012)
AWARD WINNING MYCOE PROJECT SUBMITTED FOR EARTH DAY AND RIO+20 COMPETITION
PARTICIPATION: 103 COUNTRIES
PANEL OF EXPERT JUDGES FROM: ESRI, USDA, NCGE AND AAG MEMBERS
HTTP://WWW.AAG.ORG/CS/MYCOE/LEARNING_RESOURCES/PROJECT_GALLERY/MYCOE_PROJECTS_2012/RIO20_WINNERS_ OR HTTP://FUTUREGEOGRAPHERS.WORDPRESS.COM HTTP://FUTUREGEOGRAPHERSNIGERIA.WORDPRESS.COM HTTP://FUTUREGEOGRAPHERSBENIN.WORDPRESS.COM
ON-GOING PROJECTS
Mini-grant
Mini-projectVideo ConferencingPartnership with International Community
CURRENT PHASE OF THE MYCOE PROJECT