1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; providing a grant to promote 
  1.3             excellence in geographic education in Minnesota; 
  1.4             appropriating money. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  [GRANT PROGRAM TO PROMOTE EXCELLENCE IN 
  1.7   GEOGRAPHIC EDUCATION IN MINNESOTA.] 
  1.8      Subdivision 1.  [ESTABLISHMENT.] A grant program for fiscal 
  1.9   year 2000 is established to support efforts to promote 
  1.10  excellence in geographic education and eradicate geographic 
  1.11  illiteracy in Minnesota. 
  1.12     Subd. 2.  [ELIGIBILITY; DUTIES.] A statewide collaboration 
  1.13  of kindergarten through grade 12 teachers and geography faculty 
  1.14  at Minnesota post-secondary institutions committed to improving 
  1.15  geographic education for elementary and secondary school 
  1.16  students throughout the state may apply for the grant.  The 
  1.17  grant recipient must: 
  1.18     (1) provide in-service geography education for teachers; 
  1.19     (2) assist local school districts in developing curriculum 
  1.20  containing modern applications of geography; 
  1.21     (3) support state education policies affecting geographic 
  1.22  education; and 
  1.23     (4) work with teacher preparation institutions to help 
  1.24  train student teachers in geography instruction. 
  1.25     Subd. 3.  [APPLICATION PROCESS.] To obtain the grant to 
  2.1   support efforts to promote excellence in geographic education in 
  2.2   Minnesota, an eligible applicant must submit an application to 
  2.3   the commissioner of children, families, and learning in the form 
  2.4   and manner the commissioner prescribes.  The application must 
  2.5   describe how the applicant will promote excellence in geographic 
  2.6   education and eradicate geographic illiteracy in Minnesota, and 
  2.7   accomplish the duties listed under subdivision 2. 
  2.8      Subd. 4.  [GRANT AWARD.] The commissioner, after consulting 
  2.9   with the Minnesota alliance for geographic education, shall 
  2.10  award one grant to an applicant that meets the grant criteria 
  2.11  under this section. 
  2.12     Sec. 2.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  2.13     $500,000 is appropriated from the general fund to the 
  2.14  commissioner of the department of children, families, and 
  2.15  learning in fiscal year 2000 for the purposes of section 1.