In 1992, representatives from nations around the world gathered at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to consider how to promote sustainable development. In 2012, world leaders gathered again to discuss progress, evaluate needs, and identify new priorities for how to ensure a future world that is environmentally, socially and economically sustainable.
How has the world changed since 1992? Where has progress been made toward sustainable development? What remains to be done, and where?
The My Community, Our Earth: Geographic Learning for Sustainable Development (MyCOE) Partnership encourages young people around the world to ask and develop answers to pressing global issues in their own local communities, using geographic tools, concepts and perspectives. Since 2001 when MyCOE was launched at the World Summit for Sustainable Development, or Rio+10, we have been encouraging and supporting youth and their teachers and mentors in on every continent to use geographic learning for sustainable development.
To get started, click on Step 1, above: Ask a Question to see how your community has changed.
Have you or a young person or group you know created an innovative or interesting solution to a sustainable development challenge in your community using geography, mapping or GIS? Tell us about it so we can share it with others around the world.
Showcase your work in a MyCOE poster session at the 2013 AAG Annual Meeting in Los Angeles!! $200 will be awarded for the best overall poster. Download the MyCOE Call for Posters for more information.
To get started, you can use this geoportal and the five-step navigation in the header at the top of this page. As you click on each step, you will be guided through a five-step process to build your own project. When you are ready, submit your project according to our guidelines here.
All submissions will be reviewed and displayed, and posted online (as seen below) for public viewing. View, "like" and comment on your favorites to help us select the most popular projects.
