The National Geographic Society was founded in 1888 in Washington, D.C., by scientists, explorers, and educators as a nonprofit organization dedicated to the expansion and diffusion of geographic knowledge. Today, the Society has more than 1,400 dedicated men and women serving as advisors. Over the past century, it has supported more than ten thousand projects, including polar expeditions, archaeological excavations, and studies of flora, fauna, and natural environments.

The Society also publishes National Geographic magazine and other periodicals, produces books, develops television programs and videos, and creates advanced educational programs and grant initiatives for elementary, middle, and high school students as well as teachers.