Dear Science Educator,

The National Geographic Society is proud to support the United Nations’ World Water Day on March 22, 2010, with a special issue of National Geographic magazine, and is pleased to provide educators with resources to share the event’s important “clean water for a healthy world” message with students. For 122 years, National Geographic has illuminated the wonders of our world and the issues that confront its inhabitants. Our mission is to inspire people to care about the planet. We commission research, explore the world’s nooks and crannies, and share what we learn and see in vivid and compelling ways through our magazines, books, films, television channels, and websites. And of course, we work closely with educators like you to prepare future generations to be responsible stewards of our planet.

Over the past two decades, the Society has engaged with the K-12 educational community to advance geo-literacy, which we define as an understanding of how our interconnected social, biological, and physical systems function and relate to one another. A geo-literate individual understands how local events influence what happens elsewhere, and vice versa—a connected world view that supports sound decision-making.

The National Geographic Education Foundation has awarded more than $75 million in grants to support state and local professional development programs for teachers to advance geo-literacy. The Foundation has also created instructional resources for K-12 science and social studies educators that combine proven pedagogical approaches with National Geographic’s engaging story lines and stunning visuals, available for free at our award-winning website http://education.nationalgeographic.com.

National Geographic School Publishing offers an array of print and online instructional materials for grades K-12, including core and supplemental solutions for science and social studies. Among the exciting new programs soon to be released, National Geographic Science for grades K-5 is a research-based program that brings science learning to life through the lens of National Geographic. You may also be familiar with The JASON Project, whose revolutionary approach to science education immerses students in real-world situations where they are connected with, and mentored by, top scientists from organizations like NASA, NOAA, the U.S. Department of Energy, and National Geographic. JASON creates these connections using multiple technologies—from educational games and videos to live interactivity and social networking—to embed its partners’ cutting-edge research in award-winning curricula available free online, free download-to-print, or in print editions for purchase.

We hope you will be able to visit with representatives from our three educational groups during the NSTA convention in the National Geographic section of the exhibit area. And we invite you to visit www.ngsp.com/water, where you and your students can download a free copy of the April National Geographic Water Issue between March 22 and April 2, and explore other links and resources we’ve assembled to help you address the complex subject of fresh water with your students. Most of all, we hope you will continue to look to National Geographic as your partner in education.

Sincerely,