A 35 by 26 foot map of the Americas is coming to South Carolina this month. It is a chance for young people to learn how geography touches most aspects of life—from the foods we eat to literacy in various countries.

Program chair for the Explorers Club’s Greater Piedmont chapter, Barry O’Reilly facilitates the National Geographic Joint Traveling Map Program in N.C. and S.C. His involvement in the club led him to

get involved with National

Geographic.

The program creates maps of different continents to teach children about geography. O’Reilly brought the program to Wingate Park Elementary School, his son’s school at the time, and to Charlotte last year. And he expanded the program to several schools and education centers in N.C. and S.C. this year.

Two education centers are featuring the map this year. Fairfield Magnet School in Winnsboro has the map from October 19–23, and Edventure Museum in Columbia will have the map the last week in October.

But O’Reilly recognized the value of geography even as a boy growing up in Ireland. He said that he would search for Timbuktu on a map while he was supposed to be studying his Catechism.

“I definitely feel we’ve lost that sense of place,” said O’Reilly. In an era where geography is included in social studies instead of standing alone as a subject, the study of geography isn’t preparing youth for the global economy, he said. According to National Geographic–Roper survey, approximately half of American school children can’t find New York on a map.

The map program aims to solve that problem. Teachers receive with the map an activity booklet of ideas for teaching students how various fields of study relate to geography. Students can learn about the Americas’ tectonic plates by outlining major plates with yarn, or they can learn how many people are living in S.C.

The map is so large it fits best in most schools’ gymnasiums making it easy for physical education teachers to incorporate geography into their class. O’Reilly also said the map is interactive, allowing for such activities as scavenger hunts.

O’Reilly’s goal is to expand the program over the next five years so that 20,000 N.C. and S.C. students are exposed. But for now, he’s focusing on fundraising to cover the cost of shipping for the map. This cost is about $300 per week.

For more information, contact Barry O’Reilly at 980-428-0956.