Chicago, IL – April 22, 2015 – Three Chicago students have been selected as National Finalists for their World Children’s Map submission created through Footprints of the Mind, a Chicago-based company dedicated to teaching children about the importance of geography through interactive activities. The children, ages 5-11, submitted their illustrations for consideration to the Barbara Bartz Petchenik International Children’s Mapping Competition 2015, an event created with the aim of promoting the creative representation of the world in graphic form by children.
This week, their illustrations will be among the final 21 being considered for the top six spots during the national meeting of the Association of American Geographers, currently taking place that the Hyatt Regency Hotel (through April 24). These 21 finalists were chosen by a committee of judges from the US Census Bureau, the Association of American Geographers, two universities, and software company ESRI Inc. This next round of winners will be chosen by the 8,000 geographers in attendance who will vote online for their six favorites. Those six maps continue to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to compete in the international competition in August.
This year’s theme is “My place in today’s world” and the three Chicago winning finalists being considered are:
Abby M., age 11, for “The World is My Shell”
Ramya R., age 5, for “My Wonderful World”
Zoe G., age 5, for “The World and its Beauty”
“Footprints of the Mind is breaking the mold as to how geography is taught by sharing the world in a way that makes sense to kids,” says Irene Antonoglu, founder of Footprints of the Mind. “As a result, we’re bringing up the next generation to be more globally-minded and have a better understanding of other cultures – a necessary prerequisite in diplomacy and peace. Having our students participate in this map competition was a no-brainer. Giving kids the outlet to express themselves while fusing geography with creativity and imagination produced some really incredible works of art.”
The six winners will be announced on April 30.
For more detailed information about the competition, please visit the website of the Commission on Cartography and Children.
About Footprints of the Mind
Footprints of the Mind provides geography enrichment to elementary aged children through innovative school programming, interactive workshops, Global Adventure Country KITs, and award-winning products such as its Wander our World app. Our mission is to engage children in a dynamic environment to learn geography and develop lifelong cultural awareness, love for travel, and an indispensable global outlook. To learn more, visit http://www.footprintsofthemind.com.
NOTE TO MEDIA: Hi-res .jpg images of the artwork are available upon request. Please contact Irene Antonoglu at Irene@footprintsofthemind.com or call her at 773-517-8472.