**This is a template letter for contacting a teacher or school administrator to initiate communication about Esri’s software donationand ourGeoMentors program. Please note the italicized and highlighted text that indicate portions for you to adapt and personalize to cater to your specific use. This letter is meant as a reference and general guide. Feel free to draft your own letter to best suit your needs and context.**
Dear [Name of teacher, principal, or administrator],
I am [if applicable, mention your connection to the school or community: alumna, alumnus, parent of a student at, relative of a student at, resident of the community] of [school name/school district] and I am interested in arranging a [‘meeting’ or ‘phone call’] with you to discuss the opportunityto participate in the AAG-EsriGeoMentors Program. The programfacilitates access to free geographic information systems (GIS) software and provides volunteer GeoMentors to assist teachers with their classroom goals. I am a GeoMentor myself and would like to work with [insert ‘teachers at your school’, ‘your school district’, ‘your school’, ‘you’] to demonstrate how to use the software and the variety of ways GIS can be used in [insert ‘K-12 education’, ‘elementary school classrooms’, ‘middle school classrooms’, or ‘high school classrooms’].
Esri, a GIS software company, offers a Schools Mapping Software Bundleavailable for free to all K-12 schools (public, private, and home) that includes ArcGIS Desktop, ArGIS Online Organizational accounts, and Community Analyst. ArcGIS is a digital mapping and data analysis program that can be used for all subjects and grade levels to support curriculum standards and enhance students’ experience with technology(here’s a 1 minute video about ArcGIS Online). To support Esri’sefforts, the American Association of Geographers (AAG) is working with Esri to organize a volunteer community of GeoMentors to assist schools with using their free ArcGIS software. To see examples of how GeoMentors work with schools and how students are engaging ArcGIS software, check out the online collection of case studies.
[Personalized Paragraph: Expand on your connection to the school/institution/community if applicable. Describe your experience with GIS technology and note any previous experience working with K-12 schools. Briefly discuss how you feel using ArcGIS Online will benefit K-12 education.]
I would appreciate the opportunity to speak with youabout getting [School Name/School District] involved in the AAG-EsriGeoMentors Program. Please feel free to contact me via e-mail[E-mail Address] or phone[Phone Number]to arrange a time to [talk/meet] or to ask any questions you may have. In the meantime, please take a moment to look at the GeoMentorswebsite to learn more about the program.
Thank you for taking the time to consider this opportunity. I look forward to hearing from you soon and hope to work with you in the near future!
Sincerely,
[Name]
GeoMentor
[Additional Signature Information]