Portland St. Patrick Catholic School

Since 1988, the National Geographic Society has been conducting regular studies of young adults in the United States, to see how literate they are about geography. The results of their latest study in 2006, conducted by New York City based Roper Public Affairs, were rather alarming.  The study of United States citizens ages 18 – 24 years of age showed that the group are “alarmingly ignorant of the relationships between places that give context to world events.”  

Some of the results of the study showed that:

     Thirty-three percent of respondents couldn't pinpoint Louisiana on a map.

     Six in 10 could not find Iraq on a map of the Middle East.

     Forty-seven percent could not find the Indian subcontinent on a map of Asia.

     Seventy-five percent were unable to locate Israel on a map of the Middle East.

     88 percent of those questioned could not find Afghanistan on a map of Asia.

     Six in 10 did not know the border between North and South Korea is the most heavily fortified in the world.

The study concluded that "far too many lack even the most basic skills for navigating the international economy or understanding the relationships among people and places that provide critical context for world events."  "Taken together, these results suggest that young people in the United States ... are unprepared for an increasingly global future," said the study's final report.  

We want to make sure all of our students are prepared for a “global future,” so all of the students at St. Patrick School, from Developmental kindergarten through 12th grade receive instruction in geography that goes far beyond the typical array of social studies classes found in most schools.

To help our students become literate about the world in which they live, all DK-6 students learn Spanish as a second language.  Students in grades seven and eight will take one year of German and one year of Spanish before moving into high school. Two years of foreign language are required for graduation however all of our high school students have the opportunity to take three years of German or Spanish.

Research suggests that students learn the most about geography when they are given the opportunity to visit places and immerse themselves in those cultures.  All St. Patrick high school students have the chance to travel to either Germany or Spain to learn about these countries and apply what they have learned.

Last school year we were blessed to have a foreign exchange student from the country of Venezuela attend school here.  We are again blessed this year to have two students from the country of South Korea visiting and studying at St. Pat’s.  Having these students join our school family gives everyone the opportunity to learn about the cultures of other countries first hand. Recently, one of our parents, Mrs. Sandy Pearson traveled to Vietnam as part of a Habitat for Humanity team.  Mrs. Pearson has visited our school to talk to the students about her experience and to explain the differences and similarities she observed.

We constantly watch for ways to bring geography into our classrooms, and we work hard to make our students more aware of the world around them. By learning foreign languages, visiting foreign countries, developing relationships with people from other places, and studying current events, they are preparing themselves for a place in a global society. If National Geographic sends their survey team to Portland in the future, I’m pretty sure that they’ll be pleased with what they find.