In 2008, geography professors James Hayes-Bohanan and Vernon Domingo learned that a giant, hand-painted globe, created by David Knudson, would be visiting a middle school in central Massachusetts. Drs. Hayes-Bohanan and Domingo were deeply involved in teacher preparation and professional development, so they arranged to visit that school, taking a few undergraduate students in geographic education with them. Upon seeing the globe, the professors and their students were impressed by its size and beauty. They were also surprised to hear a voice inside the globe explaining worldwide patterns of biomes, currents, and winds, and even further astonished when a zipper opened and an entire class of students emerged.
Initially hoping to bring the globe to campus for a special event to promote geographic literacy, the educators quickly saw its potential for more direct outreach. The president’s office supported the purchase of the globe and worked with the Department of Geography to facilitate its weekly visits to schools. The globe was renamed, and thus was Project EarthView born!
Every Friday — for many years — Dr. Hayes-Bohanan, Dr. Domingo and retired social-studies teacher and National Geographic Summer Institute graduate, Roslie Sokol, brought EarthView to local schools, turning the globe into an interactive adventure for students, of all levels, but mostly in grades 4 to 7. The EarthView team also included student workers known as EarthView Wranglers — more than 30 people who have both contributed to the program’s success and who have gained valuable professional skills that they have carried into teaching and other professional work.
In 2013, EarthView became a signature outreach program in the Center for the Advancement of STEM Education, where its staff have provided vital ongoing support. EarthView soon grew to include a second globe and seven National Geographic giant floor maps, which are now used both by BSU geographers and by in-service teachers in the region. After a remarkable 16-year journey, Dr. Domingo and Dr. Hayes-Bohanan have passed the torch to a new leader, BSU Visiting Assistant Professor Courtney Sutcliffe, who first encountered EarthView in 2009 at her high school and who is among the many BSU Bears who have served as EarthView Wranglers.
Project EarthView has provided direct outreach to students, support for hundreds of teachers, and the opportunity to engage entire communities, media outlets, and policymakers in the work of improving geographic literacy. Having reached 130,000 learners of all ages so far, the globe’s legacy continues to inspire, educate and expand horizons in an exciting exploration of our world.