The AAG is co-sponsoring the conference with Texas State University's Gilbert M. Grosvenor Center for Geographic Education, the Universidad de la Serena, and the Pan-American Institute of Geography and History (PAIGH).

Conference program elements will include, but are not limited to, presentations and workshops in the following categories: (1) research in geographic education; (2) research in Latin American geography; (3) international collaborative efforts in education and research; (4) educational aspects in applied geography; (5) the AAG/PAIGH collaboration in natural hazards research; and (6) the AAG Center for Global Geography Education. A conference poster session will also highlight work associated with ?My Community, Our Earth: Geographic Learning for Sustainable Development? (MyCOE) program activities in Latin America.

The opening session of the "Geography in the Americas" conference will be held on May 21, with paper and workshop sessions scheduled for May 22-24. Local and regional field trips will include tours of historic La Serena (second oldest city in Chile) and neighboring Coquimbo, the scenic Elqui Valley (where Chilean pisco is produced), and the Fray Jorge Cloud Forest. Participants are invited to join a five-day, pre-conference field excursion to Northern Chile to explore the Atacama Desert, Antiplano, Chuquicamata copper mine, and regional population centers, including Iquique and Antofagasta. A four-day post-conference field trip will focus on Central Chile, the cultural nucleus of the country, and will include visits to coastal Valparaiso and the capital of Santiago.

Advance conference registration, which includes participation in the opening reception, two lunches, and a Chilean-style barbeque social, will be $195. Advance registration for students is $95. Following the early registration deadline of March 16, 2007, registration costs will increase by $50 in each category. A variety of local housing accommodations in La Serena have been arranged, ranging in cost from $40-$80 per night, and students will have the option of staying at local youth hostels for as little as $15 per night.

Additional conference arrangements are currently being finalized. Complete conference information is at http://www.geographyintheamericas.com.

Please direct all other queries to:
Association of American Geographers
1710 16th Street NW
Washington, DC 20009
Voice: (202) 234-1450 Fax: (202) 234-2744
E-mail: meeting@aag.org