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There are newer efforts from funding organizations and agencies incentivizing collaborative research. I refer to collaborative research as research that requires the engagement from more than one institution, community, and/or economic sector, for example: participatory research, reciprocal research, convergence science, research-practice partnerships, university-industry partnerships, cross-disciplinary research and more. Compared to more traditional research, the formation of collaborative research ideas, roles of collaborators, and budgets alone take longer to develop before they are ready to present to funders. And if funded, research outcomes are harder to control and predict and the level of communication required across collaborators is higher in terms of keeping the vision forward (e.g., goals, roles, timeline) and in terms of effective research administration (e.g., budgeting, ethical reviews, documentation, compliance).Then, to broaden perspectives and participation in research, newer efforts also encourage non-traditional researchers to engage or lead collaborative research. I refer to a non-traditional researcher as someone who earned a PhD but for whom research is not a part of their current role, and who is at an institution that does not have research enterprise infrastructure to support them in accessing research funding easily or at all (e.g., a grants office). In this paper, I discuss a case study of collaborative research I lead for eight years, involving K-12 teachers, community college faculty, university researchers, and non-academic organizations in terms of the planning and coordination required compared to traditional research. I will also provide suggestions to lower barriers to access funding for and deliver on this type of research. 

In the U.S., the geography course subject is typically incorporated in social studies classes. Yet, geography has slowly lost its prominence in the U.S. over the years. Social studies teachers reported spending only 10% of their time teaching geography. History, civics/government, and economics are often prioritized (GAO, 2014). As of 2021, there are only three states (Minnesota, New Hampshire, and Utah) that require a standalone geography course for high school graduation (Zadrozny, 2021). The declining prominence of geography in the U.S. curriculum is clearly reflected in student outcomes (see Solem, 2023; GAO, 2014). If we want to better prepare the next generation, we can work to ensure the geography curriculum finds its place. This could mean ensuring sufficient space for geography in social studies, but it would also be relevant for geography to find space in the new computer science curriculum. An assessment about the rollout of the new CS curriculum reveals persisting disparities in terms of access and participation (Code.org, CSTA, & ECEP Alliance, 2020). Exposing students to both geography and computer science may have benefits in terms of broadening participation. The Geospatial Semester, for example, helps K-12 students master geospatial technologies and the authors describe spatial thinking skills as a gateway to STEM careers. Their curiculum has shown that their use of geographic information systems augments student problem solving, particularly for females (Kolvoord, 2021). Therefore, we should test more integration of course subjects (e.g., geography in computer science curriculum, and vice versa). 

AG is organizing a series of roundtable discussions to prepare the outline for an “AAG Education Summit” at the 2025 Annual Meeting in Detroit (MI) that will offer networking, mentoring, and professional development for educators covering geography in K-12 and/or higher education. WHY THIS ROUNDTABLE? Part of AAG’s JEDI Strategic Plan is to hold roundtable discussions to foster collaboration between AAG, K-12 teachers, community college educators, and post-secondary geographers. Based on recommendations from the Encoding Geography Initiative and the National Center for Research in Geography Education, building “bridges” between K-12 and higher education should be a key strategy moving forward. Depending on who you ask, however, you will hear a different idea on what that "bridge" could look like, and to what level AAG should or shouldn't be involved. The goal of these roundtable discussions is to bring all these "bridge" ideas together. WHO DO WE WANT AT THE TABLE? We are open to anyone who would like to contribute to these conversations, but among those who we would like to see represented during at least one of our Roundtable Discussions are (in no particular order): Geography educators in K-12 and community colleges, the AAG Community College Affinity Group, the AAG Geography Education Specialty Group, representatives from the National Council for Geographic Education (NCGE), representatives from the National Center for Research in Geography Education (NCRGE), representatives from the AAG Healthy Department Committee, representatives from the AAG JEDI Committee and its TLC GRAM Working Groups, representatives from former or active Geography State Alliances, representatives from Esri's education team, representatives from OSGEO, AP teachers or graders, Code.org teachers and teacher trainers, etc. 

“AAG has a vision — We want to be a national fulcrum for grant and research opportunities for the discipline’s transformation, and we want to provide technical support to partner institutions and organizations seeking to share their knowledge and level up their prominence in research. The common throughline of the projects we encourage is commitment to the central principles of belonging, access, justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (BAJEDI).” —Risha RaQuelle, AAG Chief Strategy Officer. More details at https://www.aag.org/research-partnerships-the-foundation-for-a-culture-of-care/