NCC Geography and Global Studies Program

05/26/2026

Online, June 9

05/21/2026

It was very exciting to be a part of the conversation this morning at the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission Strategy Lab on Trends and Future Forces. If you want to have your voice heard, you have to be willing to step up and be a part of the process.
Sitting today with community members and having these conversations with them and the LVPC planners who help give guidance for our local municipalities as they go through the development process was a great experience. Knowing that they listen and value our community college voices shows that we all have an impact. We just have to show up.
Check out their website for some helpful information about trends and development in the Lehigh Valley, and future events at LVPC.

🚀 How fast is the future moving? And is the Lehigh Valley ready to move with it? 🚀

Technology is accelerating at breakneck speed, and our societal preferences are shifting just as fast. To build a thriving region, we can’t just react to change—we have to anticipate it.

Join the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission (LVPC) for our upcoming FutureLV Strategy Lab: Trends and Future Forces! This is your opportunity to help update FutureLV: The Regional Plan and our Metropolitan Transportation Plan.

We are hosting an interactive, collaborative roundtable discussion focused on how rapidly changing tech and evolving community preferences impact regional development, infrastructure, and mobility.

Your voice, your insights, and your vision are essential to shaping the policy that drives our community forward. Let’s co-create the future of the Lehigh Valley together! 🙌

📅 When: Thursday, May 21 | 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
📍 Where: 615 Waterfront Dr, Suite 201, Allentown, PA
🎟️ Cost: Free (Registration required)

Space is limited for this roundtable discussion. Secure your spot today! 👇https://www.eventbrite.com/e/futurelv-strategy-lab-future-forces-tickets-1987849323839?aff=oddtdtcr…



B. Braun
Olympus Corporation
Lehigh University
Lafayette College

05/09/2026

If you have not yet signed up for the Regenerative Energy Initiative's (formerly Sustainable Energy Fund) Energy Path 2026: 3 day Bootcamp followed by a Professional Conference day (July 13-16) - do it now! Scholarships are available at the link below and will cover lodging and meals for the entire time or you can also just commute as it is held locally this year at Moravian University. So far we have several students and faculty attending and we hope to see you there! This opportunity is available for both faculty and students.
As you are completing it, make sure that you indicate that you are from NCC and with NCC Climate Action Network and that one or both of NCC's Energy Path ambassadors told you all about this opportunity - Hannah Burros or Jocelyn Surace.

Energypath 2026 Scholarships Valued at $2,500, Energypath 2026 is your opportunity to gain hands-on experience with today’s most exciting energy technologies while connecting with leaders shaping the future of sustainable and regenerative energy. We are offering 100 full scholarships to college st...

05/01/2026

Since we have been all about the birds this week (pictures of our adventures on campus will follow soon) >>>>>> Webinar alert: Wednesday, May 20, 2026 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM ET

American Bird Conservancy is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in the United States, and donations are tax deductible for U.S. residents. As a member of our online community, you will receive periodic emails (including newsletters and project updates) from which you may unsubscribe at an...

04/23/2026

Sign up for Energy Path 2026 and get a scholarship to attend from July 13-16. The 2026 Energypath Conference will take place at Moravian University in Bethlehem, PA on Thursday, July 16, after the completion of the 3-day boot camps from July 13-15, 2026. Scholarship includes logging at Moravian and all meals.
Participants will explore today’s most exciting sustainable and regenerative energy technologies through hands-on learning and expert-led instruction. Each three-day Pre-Conference Energy Boot Camp (July 13–15) offers a unique opportunity to gain technical skills, collaborate with professionals and educators, and build a deeper understanding of the renewable energy transition. Sign up to be an Ambassador too - for amazing perks. Plus the 5 schools that send the highest number of participants will receive $5,000 - so make sure to put down NCC!

Energypath 2026 Scholarships Valued at $2,500, Energypath 2026 is your opportunity to gain hands-on experience with today’s most exciting energy technologies while connecting with leaders shaping the future of sustainable and regenerative energy. We are offering 100 full scholarships to college st...

03/15/2026

You should sign up for one of the spring legislative luncheon to speak with your state legislators about higher education and your experiences at NCC!

Bethlehem Campus:
Friday, April 24 | 12PM to 1:30PM | On-Campus
If interested in attending the Bethlehem Legislative Luncheon, please email Nykolai Blichar at [email protected] by March 27.

Pocono Campus:
Friday, May 8 | 12PM to 1:30PM | On-campus
If interested in attending the Pocono Legislative Luncheon, please email Rachael Weidlich at [email protected] by March 27.

Are you a student living in Northampton or Monroe County? Sign-up for the spring legislative luncheon to speak with your state legislators about higher education and your experiences at NCC.

Bethlehem Campus:
Friday, April 24 | 12PM to 1:30PM | On-Campus
If interested in attending the Bethlehem Legislative Luncheon, please email Nykolai Blichar at [email protected] by March 27.

Pocono Campus:
Friday, May 8 | 12PM to 1:30PM | On-campus
If interested in attending the Pocono Legislative Luncheon, please email Rachael Weidlich at [email protected] by March 27.

11/20/2025

The last day that there was a sunrise and a sunset in Utqiaġvik, Alaska (formerly Barrow, which was formerly Utqiaġvik) was yesterday, November 18, 2025.
Don't worry, its not the end of the world as we know it :) Its just the tilt of the planet aka axial tilt and that Utqiaġvik is located above the Arctic Circle at 71°17′26″N, so 24 hours darkness and 24 hours of daylight is something that they are used to. All location north of 66.5° N, or south of 66.5°S will have 24 hours of darkness aka polar night. The further north of 66.5°N you are in the northern hemisphere or south of 66.5°S in the southern hemisphere, the longer the period of 24 hours of darkness (or daylight) you will experience.
For instance at McMurdo Station in Antarctica, the last time the sunset was in August and they have been experiencing 24 hours of daylight since then until sometime in April, 2026. Check out the linked cool visual and the great video ( https://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-antarctica/weather-and-climate/weather/sunlight-hours/ ) filmed at Mawson Station, Antarctica courtesy of the Australian Antarctic Program that explains how dark it can get during a 24 hours of darkness. (hint: not as dark as you may think).
Getting back to Utqiaġvik, Alaska: today was the first day out of the next 64 where there will be no sunrise. The next time that the sunrises there, will be on January 22, 2026 at 1:15pm, followed by a quick sunset at 2:05pm (yes, for just 48 minutes of daylight).
Right on time for the first day of our Weather and Climate class (Geog 210) in the Spring 2026 semester. You know you want to join us, since you do need a science class to graduate!

Send a message to learn more

10/15/2025

Join us at the annual Humanities Program and Peace Conference at NCC on October 22nd! Make sure to sign up using the QR code!

If you are interested in the movie at 7pm at the Frank Banko Alehouse Cinema (Steel Stacks) - you will need to reserve your seat on the ArtsQuest website. If you are in the dorms and are looking for a ride to the theater or would just like to carpool reach out to Prof Forrester at [email protected] - depending on interest, we may arrange for a van

10/01/2025

With great sadness, the Jane Goodall Institute confirmed this morning the passing of the organization’s founder, Dr. Jane Goodall, age 91 who died peacefully in her sleep while in Los Angeles, CA for her speaking tour in the United States.

Dr. Goodall’s life and work not only made an indelible mark on our understanding of chimpanzees and other species, but also of humankind and the environments we all share. She inspired curiosity, hope and compassion in countless people around the world, and paved the way for many others — particularly young people who gave her hope for the future.

In 1960 Dr. Goodall established the longest running wild chimpanzee study in Gombe National Park, Tanzania which continues to this day. She pioneered and sustained the Jane Goodall Institute’s community-centered conservation initiatives across the chimpanzee range for over four decades. Her legacy includes the creation of JGI’s international environmental and humanitarian youth program Roots & Shoots, which is actively driving change in 75 countries and counting around the world.

The Jane Goodall Institute is incredibly grateful to all our supporters, partners, and friends, especially during this difficult time. To add a personal remembrance of Dr. Goodall and continue her legacy for future generations, please visit JaneGoodall.org/RememberingJane

💚

Photo credit: Marko Zlousic

09/30/2025

09/25/2025

You can begin on your own and then sign up for Geog 271: GIS this Spring! Global Studies (all concentrations) majors can use GEOG 271 to cover their computer science requirement

Learn GIS for good. 🌍💚

We use maps daily for weather, directions, and finding the best pumpkin spice latte spots.

Go beyond the digital maps in your pocket and use GIS to address our biggest challenges. Start with the basics: https://ow.ly/IJqv50WVnQj