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.
Electoral redistricting is a nonpartisan topic that keeps communication lively and cuts across geographic areas and political perspectives. Explore resources from GeoCivics https://geocivics.uccs.edu/ including online redistricting puzzles, tools for mapping your community, and explanations of redistricting criteria. For an overview, check out this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4k3fjW2dxg.
Resources for Illinois: https://geocivics.uccs.edu/stateresources/illinois
Questions? Don’t hesitate to contact Rebecca Theobald at geocivics50@gmail.com. Please share, as the more you and your communities engage with redistricting, the more voices will be represented.
Following the 2020 Census, some states will gain additional seats in the United States House of Representatives, while others will see a decrease. Are you prepared to ask questions of the people responsible for drawing the new congressional district map? You will want to understand the history of migration in your state, essential elements of the apportionment and redistricting process, and geospatial technology tools that will inform that process. Resources designed to inform students and community members about these topics for all states are available through the GeoCivics website hosted at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs.
Explore resources for each state (https://www.uccs.edu/geocivics/stateresources) and think about using GeoCivics materials as a lesson plan or to frame a community discussion. Click the link below to sign up for more information, or to be kept informed as the GeoCivics project moves us toward being ready for new electoral districts.
Please check back in the spring for specific information about the summer 2021 VIRTUAL geography education workshop from the Illinois Geographic Alliance, LLC.
In the meantime, if you have general questions about Illinois Geographic Alliance, LLC workshops, please email iga@illinoisstate.edu.