Dedicated to the Teaching of Geography in the State of Illinois
Our purpose is the promotion and enhancement of geographic knowledge in the schools and among the general populace of Illinois. To achieve this purpose, the Alliance maintains a strong grassroots organization of geographic educators from schools and universities, participates in educational reform at the district, state, and national levels. We engage in an active program of preservice and in-service teacher education, develop curriculum materials based on the National Geography Standards, and foster public awareness of the importance of geography in our society.
News and Events
Call for Presenters for the 2026 Geography Education in the 21st Century Virtual Conference on November 7
The Illinois Geographic Alliance, LLC (IGA) and the Department of Geography, Geology, and the Environment at Illinois State University are excited to announce the 2026 Geography Education in the 21st Century Virtual Conference, our annual conference for geography educators via Zoom that focuses on methods, lessons, and resources for teaching geography. General information about the 2026 conference, which will take place on the morning of Saturday, November 7, is below.
At this point, we are looking for presenters (individuals, pairs, or small teams) for the conference breakout sessions. Because our conference is online without concurrent sessions, the presentation length is flexible. We ask presenters to choose session lengths ranging from 10 minutes (example: highlighting a lesson or activity) up to 40 minutes (example: mini workshop using a resource/tool). As an example, a 20-minute session could include 15 minutes for the presentation and 5 minutes for questions. Stipends for each presenter range from $50 for presentations that are 30 minutes or less to $100 for presentations that are more than 30 minutes. Also, presenters do not have to be IGA members, so please encourage your colleagues to consider this opportunity as well.
If you are interested in presenting, please email IGA@IllinoisState.edu by Friday, September 25, 2026.
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2026 Geography Education in the 21st Century Virtual Conference
What: Virtual conference for geography educators that includes a keynote and breakout sessions
When: the morning of Saturday, November 7, 2026
Where: Zoom (Link will be emailed to you a day or two prior to the conference.)
Who: This virtual conference is applicable for a wide range of geography educators, including pre-service (i.e., college students) and in-service elementary school teachers, middle school/junior high teachers, high school teachers, and community college/university instructors and professors.
Why: This conference is a fantastic opportunity for you to connect with geography educators from around the state. The conference includes a keynote and a variety of breakout sessions presented by experienced educators.
Cost: Registration is free! PD hours (CPDUs) are provided to in-service Illinois K-12 educators at no charge.
Registration: The online registration form will be available on the IGA website on October 1, 2026.
Questions: Please contact the Illinois Geographic Alliance, LLC, at IGA@IllinoisState.edu
2026 Geography Education in the 21st Century Virtual Conference
The Illinois Geographic Alliance, LLC (IGA) and the Department of Geography, Geology, and the Environment at Illinois State University are excited to announce the 2026 Geography Education in the 21st Century Virtual Conference, a conference for geography educators that focuses on methods, lessons, and resources for teaching geography. This free conference will take place on Zoom on the morning of Saturday, November 7, 2026. Additional information and the link to the online registration form will be available October 1.
Journal of Geography Article on GenAI in Geography Education
Dr. Samantha Serrano, IGA member and teacher at James B. Conant High School, has written an excellent article about the use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in geography education. Geography educators at all levels will find her research very informational and practical in today’s era of AI. We invite you to check out her Journal of Geography articlewhich is freely available for everyone.
Traveling Maps at Metcalf Make Social Studies Matter
The recent Traveling Maps at Metcalf Make Social Studies Matter article highlights the Giant Travelling Map of Illinois that Illinois teachers can borrow free of charge from the Illinois Geographic Alliance, LLC (IGA). For more information about the map and how to reserve it for your classroom, please visit Giant Map.