For more than a hundred years, the National Geographic Society has pursued its mission to increase and diffuse geographic knowledge. The Society has made a special effort to support this goal by establishing the Education & Children's Programs department, which works to motivate and enable each new generation to become geographically literate.

Education & Children's Programs prepares the next generation of global citizens by helping kids understand the world and their place in it through these major initiatives:

Photograph by Mark Thiessen and Becky Hale

Geography Competitions

Since 1989, thousands of schools and millions of students have participated in the National Geographic Bee, an entertaining and challenging test of knowledge that spans the broad discipline of geography. Every year, an estimated five million students take place in the Bee at school, state, and national levels, with the top winners sharing $50,000 in college scholarships. The Bee motivates teachers' and students' interest in geography, and through wide national media coverage, including the televised finals, increases public awareness of geography.

Internationally, the National Geographic World Championship is a biennial competition that involves teams of winning students from nations that agree to host annual geography competitions. In 2003, 18 countries hosted geography competitions and sent teams to the National Geographic World Championship.

Photograph by Chiedo Ohanyerenwa

Education Outreach

National Geographic Education Outreach strives to improve the geographic literacy of our nation's schoolchildren and increase awareness in the general community. We offer lesson plans, professional development, online learning communities, and many other resources to educators. Additionally, the Society hosts an annual, yearlong Geography Action! campaign that focuses on issues ranging from rivers and habitats to population and biodiversity. Special programs address oceans education and connect the excitement of National Geographic film and television to the classroom.

Photograph by Lou Mazzatenta

National Geographic Education Foundation

The Education Foundation makes more than five million dollars in grants annually to teachers, schools, districts, universities, and other nonprofits to advance the geographic literacy of young people. Under a national challenge grant program, special endowments have now been established in 19 states to provide ongoing support to local geography education initiatives.

Along with the Society's award-winning school publishing division, Web site, and, of course, maps, magazines and television, the Education & Children's Programs unit supports better education for children about the world and its diverse cultures and environment.

As a nonprofit, National Geographic's educational efforts are made possible by our membership and generous contributions from individuals, foundations, corporate sponsors, and government grants. To find out more, or to make a donation to support our work, please visit the National Geographic Development Office.