American Affiliation of Geographers Funds Nationwide Parks Tour
MEDIA CONTACT: David Thompson, dlthompson@bowiestate.edu, 301-860-4311
(BOWIE, Md.) – Courses are over and most faculty college students are making ready for his or her summer season break or commencement, apart from 10 college students at Bowie State College who’re making ready to depart on a ten day, 1,500 mile tenting journey to 5 Nationwide Parks to expertise the outside, discover the bodily geography, historical past, and cultural panorama within the western United States. By way of experiential studying, college students will purchase data about geography, nationwide park websites, preparation for outside journey, and tenting.
“Bowie State is the primary and solely HBCU to obtain a grant from the American Affiliation of Geographers which made this journey a actuality for our college students,” stated Dr. Sumanth Reddy, a geography professor at BSU.
The nationwide parks system has been known as America’s greatest thought, but not all Individuals are capable of interact with these invaluable nationwide treasures. Latest research estimate that just one.2 – 6% of tourists to nationwide parks in the USA are African American, which is significantly decrease than the 13% of the U.S. inhabitants that’s African American.
“Along with their participation on the journey, college students shall be required to create a video, write a paper, weblog, or publish on a subject of their selection that’s associated to what they noticed, skilled, and realized on the journey. They can even be eligible to obtain 3 – 6 impartial examine credit in geography,” stated Professor Reddy.
The scholars will go to 5 parks: Nice Sand Dunes Nationwide Park, Mesa Verde Nationwide Park, Grand Canyon Nationwide Park, Arches Nationwide Park, and Rocky Mountain Nationwide Park. They can even go to the 4 Corners Monument, which marks the purpose within the Southwestern United States the place the states of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah meet. It’s the solely level within the nation shared by 4 states and is maintained by the Navajo Nation.
“African Individuals have made main contributions within the Rocky Mountain and desert Southwest areas of the USA,” stated Professor Reddy. “My aim is to take college students to varied areas the place African Individuals are part of the cultural panorama reminiscent of The Black American West Museum and the 5 Factors Neighborhood in Denver, and the Fort Garland Museum and Cultural Middle (Buffalo Soldier exhibit) in Fort Garland, Colorado.”
Along with their participation on the journey, college students shall be required to create a video, write a paper, weblog, or publish on a subject of their selection that’s associated to what they noticed, skilled, and realized on the journey. They can even be eligible to obtain 3 – 6 impartial examine credit in geography.
BSU college students collaborating on the ten day Nationwide Parks tenting journey are Kevon Allen, a sophomore and elementary training main; Alma Bangura, a junior majoring in authorities; Zoey Days, a junior biology main; Malaika Dixon, a senior laptop science main; Kalil Greenfield Jr., a sophomore historical past main; Kwari Jackson, a sophomore historical past main; Ayen Kuol, a pc science graduate pupil; Rodah Ngorem, a sophomore majoring in nursing; Bridget Oppong, a junior laptop expertise main; and Mark Sims Jr., a freshman majoring in communication.
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Bowie State College (BSU) is a vital increased training entry portal for certified individuals from various educational and socioeconomic backgrounds, searching for a high-quality and inexpensive public complete college. The college locations particular emphasis on the science, expertise, cybersecurity, instructor training, enterprise, and nursing disciplines throughout the context of a liberal arts training. For extra details about BSU, go to bowiestate.edu.
