University of Idaho

875 Perimeter Dr. | Moscow, Idaho 83844

Contact: Michael Foushee
Telephone: (208) 885-0000
Cell: (208) 699-0000
E-mail: fous4241@vandals.uidaho.edu

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

REFORMING K-12 GEOGRAPHIC EDUCATION IN IDAHO

One University of Idaho Graduate Student Envisions a Bright Future
MOSCOW, Idaho (April 24, 2016) Switch on your televisions and tune in your radio dials a
new statewide campaign to reform geographic education is coming to Idaho.
Michael Foushee, a graduate student at the University of Idaho, first envisioned the
campaign after discovering troubling statistics revealing the poor state of K-12 geographic
education in America. I knew that something needed to be done, he said. If these trends
continue, I worry that Idaho students will not be competitive in the global marketplace.
The statistics are indeed worrisome. Most students in America are not proficient in
geography, according to a recent assessment by the U.S. Department of Education. In fact,
geographic proficiency in Americas schools is steadily dropping.
This is not an issue you only find in schools in big cities, said Foushee. The
assessments are from across the nation and we see the same results in many schools in Idaho.
A major cause of this problem is poor funding for geography in K-12 schools. A recent
report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office found geography is taught for fewer hours
and receives less funding than other subjects, despite being a core subject in the national K-12
curriculum.
Foushee believes that informing Idahos population is a key first step in addressing this
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issue. I want to get information out there and let Idahoans know that they can make a
difference in geographic education at the state and national levels, he said.
According to Foushee, the campaigns goal is to build support for new geographic
education programs and increased funding for geographic education in Idaho. He believes that an
informational campaign will spur a new interest for geographic education in the state.
The campaign, funded by a National Science Foundation grant, is set to kick off next
month. A public service announcement will air on local television and radio stations, followed by
meetings with educators and the public in cities across Idaho. Visitors may find the campaigns
website at www.idahogeography.org.
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and in the world beyond.