PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.

SEC. 202. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED. Part F of title IV of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 is amended— (1) by redesignating section 4607 as section 4608; (2) by striking out “section 4606” in section 4608(a) (as redesignated by paragraph (1)) and inserting in lieu thereof “sections 4606 and 4607”; and (3) by adding after section 4606 the following new section: “SEC. 4607. NATIONAL GEOGRAPHY STUDIES CENTERS. “(a) Program Authorized.— (1) The Secretary is authorized to enter into a contract with the Education Foundation of the National Geographic Society in order to pay the Federal share of the cost of the establishment and operation of National Geography Studies Centers. Each Center shall be for the study of geography in elementary and secondary schools. “(2) For the purpose of this section— “(A) the term ‘contractor’ means the Education Foundation of the National Geographic Society; and “(B) the term ‘Centers’ mean the National Geography Studies Centers assisted under this section. “(b) Requirements of Contract.— The contract described in subsection (a)(1) shall provide that— “(1) funds made available to the contractor pursuant to any contract entered into under this section will be used to pay the 102 STAT. 2863Federal share of the cost of establishing and operating the Centers in accordance with this section; and “(2) the contractor will carry out the provisions of this section. “(c) Establishment of Centers.— In carrying out the provisions of this section, the contractor may enter into contracts with or make grants to local educational agencies, State educational agencies, State higher educational agencies, institutions of higher education, or consortia thereof, to establish and operate the Centers. “(d) Functions of the Centers.— (1) Each Center assisted under this section shall— “(A) support programs for the study of geography for elementary and secondary school students, that may include laboratory schools and summer institutes; “(B) support programs which provide elementary and secondary school teacher retraining and inservice training in geography and may make provision for teacher stipends for the period of participation in the program; and “(C) establish procedures, through an advisory panel, for selecting elementary and secondary school students and teachers for the programs supported through the centers. The selection procedures under subparagraph (C), to the extent practicable, shall take into account geographic distribution and the needs for greater access to, and participation in, geography studies by students and teachers from historically underrepresented groups including females, minorities, and individuals with handicaps. “(2) Each Center may— “(A) support the development and dissemination of innovative curriculum in geography; “(B) develop geography curriculum to be used in other subject areas such as environmental studies, science, international culture and politics, history, and foreign language studies; and “(C) provide technical and resource assistance in geography to elementary and secondary schools in the region served by the Center. “(e) Federal Share.— The Federal share for each fiscal year shall be 75 percent.”.