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Geography makes a difference

Geography makes a difference

3 September 2025

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‘I have seen so many great Presidents making a difference in the geography community, I am following in the footsteps of giants!’

Catherine Owen

It is a real honour to be the GA President for 2025/26. I have been a member of the GA for over 30 years and have played an active role in special interest groups for much of this time. I have seen so many great Presidents making a difference in the geography community, I am following in the footsteps of giants!

For a long time, few GA Presidents were based in classrooms. Since the great leaps in online communication during COVID-19 times it has become much easier for teachers to take on such roles and I am delighted to follow state school teachers Denise Freeman and Hina Robinson as President.

I have taught in non-selective state schools in Somerset for over 30 years, teaching KS3-KS5 geography as well as periods additionally teaching business studies, travel and tourism and sociology. I have been Head of Geography in my current school for over 25 years – it is a very special school, at the heart of its community and with the most supportive staff you could wish for.

The town of Highbridge, which forms a large part of our catchment area, experiences particularly high levels of deprivation, with 63.6% of households experiencing deprivation in at least one area in 2023. Its twin town of Burnham-on-Sea is more affluent, but as a coastal town faces issues of seasonal and precarious employment. This has led to me developing a particular interest in supporting students who are experiencing disadvantage.

My Presidential theme is ‘Geography makes a difference’. I chose this theme for three reasons:

Learning about the world makes a difference to our students. Some will be fascinated to learn about concepts and processes which enable them to make sense of the complex world around them. Others will be frustrated when they learn about issues and inequalities, developing a passion for tackling challenges which may shape the direction of their lives. Gaining knowledge of the world whilst developing geospatial, green and transferable skills can also make a difference to students by increasing their employability. We know that geography degrees can lead to well paid jobs, but students may also be motivated by the job satisfaction they could achieve through working in this area.
A high quality geography education is particularly important for students who experience disadvantage in education. Students who haven’t had the opportunity to travel, learn about different people and places and the geography curriculum can be designed to enhance cultural capital. Fieldwork takes students to contrasting locations where they can learn how to work in different contexts as well as developing their geographical skills. This learning can make a difference to our student’s life chances, giving them confidence to navigate their way through the world.
Issues facing us can seem scary and the future uncertain. Geography makes a difference by giving students a space to learn about and discuss issues, supporting their well being. This is particularly important in relation to the Climate Crisis – geography allows us to explore the causes of this crisis and its different impacts, but also empowers us to ask questions and make choices to work towards tackling it.

I hope that this theme will encourage geography educators to reflect on their practice and consider the difference geography makes. I would be grateful if the geography community could use our social media connections to discuss three questions:

How can we maximise the benefits of studying geography?
How do we share ideas about how to make a difference through geography?
How can we do our best to ensure that geography makes a difference?

You can find me on Bluesky, Instagram and LinkedIn if you would like to tag me in any conversations on this theme or if you have any questions you would like to ask. It would also be wonderful to see you in-person at the GA Annual Conference in Sheffield from 8 to 10 April 2026. Thank you for all you do as geographers and geography educators – you make a difference.