View Content #18417

This month, InterCom's focus on advocacy calls us to action as language educators. This week we are highlighting the Mapping the Nation project, http://mappingthenation.net, to demonstrate ways in which data can be used to advocate for global education. The tools and resources are especially relevant to language educators as they work to make languages relevant and useful for their unique learners.

Mapping the Nation is an interactive website which brings together "nearly one million data points" around economic, demographic and educational indicators to make local scenarios understandable from a global perspective. The website entails three areas that will be useful for educators, including tips for advocacy by state and region.

Interactive Map: A map highlighting key data points for each state in the United States. Learners can explore the demographics of their own community, including the areas where languages other than English are most commonly spoken.

Infographics: A series of infographics created around global issues. Take, for example, a recent addition highlighting language study in the United States: http://mappingthenation.net/pdfs/infographic-languagerich.pdf

Toolkit: A series of activities and tasks for making use of the Mapping the Nation tools. These include educator resources as well as ways people can get involved in their own communities.

Mapping the Nation: From Local to Global is a project from: the Asia Society, the Longview Foundation, and SAS.