Carroll Courtenay, '12

Carroll Courtenay, ’12, has always loved to ride horses, hike and canoe, and it was her passion for the outdoors that inspired her double major in geography and environmental studies. When she heard about a summer internship with National Geographic’s education programs, she knew it would be a natural fit.

At National Geographic, Courtenay helped to develop workshops for an education fair in Saudi Arabia, did various outreach activities with local schools, and helped to coordinate a weeklong teacher development workshop.

“My main assignment was to work on Geography Awareness Week 2011,” she says. “I helped coordinate and develop teacher and student materials for the week, including creating the mission booklet and poster for students to go along with this year’s theme, ‘Geography in Your Community.’”

Working in geography education has helped Courtenay to learn more about the American education system. However, her new knowledge on the geography curriculum in public schools was not what she was expecting. 

“People don’t know their states,” she says, “or can’t identify Afghanistan on a map — and we have soldiers over there. But geography is much more than identifying places on a map. Critically analyzing change in the cultural, physical, and economic landscape can help people understand the complex relationships of today’s world.”

Courtenay’s concerns grew even greater when she learned that geography is the only subject without federal funding. However, she was more optimistic after joining National Geographic’s efforts to change funding practices.

“They are running a campaign where you can go online and write to your senator,” she says. “So there is a petition going around trying to get more funding for geography education.”

In addition to Geography Awareness Week, National Geographic’s Explorer Symposium was one of the highlights of Courtenay’s summer. The weeklong event showcases National Geographic’s explorer grantees — from oceanographers to urban planners — who give presentations on the work they have done throughout the year.

The symposium excited Courtenay, whose on-campus research focuses on green infrastructure and land conservation.

“There were some really amazing people at this conference, and it was very inspiring to hear about the different projects these explorers worked on,” she says. “There was this whole breadth of work from paleontology to aid work to working with communities.”