The American Geological Institute and Geoscience Education

Abstract

The founders of the American Geological Institute (AGI) established coordination of the improvement of earth-science education as one of the three primary objectives of the Institute. Since 1948, AGI has worked toward that objective through a variety of programs including the Earth Science Curriculum Project, curriculum and materials projects, and establishment of the National Center for Earth Science Education. Organized member-society activities proceeded at a comparatively low level during the early years, but with the recent recognition of the crisis in American science education, there has been a rapid development of education-oriented programs in several earth-science professional societies. While most member organizations support AGI's taking a leadership or coordination role in the national effort, there has been no clear mechanism established for accomplishing this. If some semblance of a structured national program isn't established soon, the geoscience-education programs of the professional soc...