GPS, GIS and Community Mapping

Community Mapping is a process involving youth, citizens, community professionals, and community decision-makers working together to learn and use geospatial tools and data to address community and environmental issues.

So what exactly is GPS and GIS?
GPS (Global Positioning System) is a network of satellites that continuously transmit coded information, which makes it possible to precisely identify locations on earth by measuring distance from the satellites.

GIS (Geographic Information System) is essentially a high-tech map! Unlike paper maps, GIS can allow the user to change the information shown as well as ask questions about the relationships between that information.  GIS combines layers of information about a place to give a better understanding of that place. What layers of information are combined depends on the purpose.  GIS software is becoming more sophisticated with the rapidly developing technology.

Overview of GPS and Community Mapping Slides

Don’t miss the third annual CYFERnet Travel Bug Race

Note:  As a special incentive to Missouri 4-H clubs, the Missouri 4-H Foundation will award a $100 prize to the Missouri 4-H club with the highest score.

The CYFERnet Travel Bug Race is a great way to jump start 4-H Geospatial learning for clubs, project groups, and after-school. It is also a fun way to explore the planet vicariously and win a prize. The race is part of the Global Positioning System (GPS)-based adventure game called Geocaching. Go to the Geocaching - The Official Global GPS Cache Hunt Site at http://www.geocaching.com/ to learn more and to view geocaches near you.

To join the race place a Travel Bug hitchhiker into an official geocache, register the Travel Bug online, and track it as other geocachers move it from cache to cache in the real world. The more miles your bug travels, the higher your score in the CYFERnet Travel Bug Race. To learn more and join the race go to http://www.cyfernet.org/4htech/mission/09-07-GIS/

4-H GIS Resources

• GIS as a 4-H Project
  GIS Project Explanation Card (Word)
  GIS Score Card (Excel)

• Missouri 4-H GIS/GPS Club Mapping Project Form
  To help market 4-H program to prospective members

• National 4-H Geospatial Curriculum
  Look for “Geospatial”
  http://www.4-hcurriculum.org/AtoZ.aspx. 

• 4-H GIS GPS List Serv
  To join and receive announcements about monthly conference calls, webinars, and training opportunities, send an email to Trudy Dunham and ask to be added to the list.
  dunha003@umn.edu

• 4-H Alert, Evacuate and Shelter
  Find out how 4-H clubs in 13 states in Southeast US have created evacuation and shelter maps to support their community’s emergency preparedness plans.
  http://www.crn4h.org/

• GIS Program for US 4-H
  Find out what 4-H clubs are doing with GIS technology
  http://www.esri.com/industries/k-12/4-h/index.html

• GIS Conferences
  Attend a regional GIS user conference to learn more about how GIS is used in your region.  You can also do a web search on “GIS” with your county or state name. 
  http://events2.esri.com/info/index.cfm?fuseaction=listConferences

• GIS Corps Volunteer Program
  GIS Corps has a limited number of GIS professionals who are willing to mentor and offer support to 4-H GIS club efforts (near or far).
  http://www.giscorps.org/

• 4-H Community Atlas Projects
  Select “youth clubs” to narrow the search if needed.
  http://www.esri.com/industries/k-12/atlas/index.html 

• American Forests
  American Forests works to protect, restore and enhance the natural capital of trees and forests, and provides CITYGreen software (an ArcGIS extension) for qualified Intermediate GIS Grant applicants.
  http://www.americanforests.org/  

GPS, GIS and Community Mapping Resources

• Community Mapping Resource List
  Maps, training, websites and more...a "living" document

• GIS/GPS Resource List
  A wealth of resources from Tim Haithcoat, Missouri Spatial Data Information Service, Geographic Resources Center at the University of Missouri-Columbia

• GPS Train-the-Trainer
  Outline for basic train-the-trainer GPS session.

• Managing a GPS Kit
  GPS is fun but instructions are helpful in managing those units!

  GPS Legend C
  Basic information for operating a Legend C

  GPS Rhino 120
  Basic information for operating a Rhino 120

• Resources from the MU Community Mapping Conference
  from March 28-30, 2006

Workshop 1 - GPS 1
Resources from workshop

GPS learning activities

Workshops 11-14 - Developing projects
Resources from workshops

Missouri 4-H Club Mapping Project (draft)