Category Archives: Event

Happy Geography Awareness Week 2023 – The Power of Place

It’s that time of year again! We are celebrating Geography Awareness Week! November 13-17, 2023

The History of Geography Awareness Week:

Thirty-six years ago, the National Geographic Society advocated to create Geography Awareness Week. Geography Awareness Week is a way to celebrate and raise awareness of geography, both as a discipline and as a part of daily life. The National Geographic Society felt the limited exposure to geography in American education was a dangerous deficiency. Without proper exposure to geography, students are unable to make effective decisions, understand geo-spatial and geo-political issues, or even recognize their impacts as global citizens.
— see more at the National Geographic Website

To learn more about exciting careers in geography and the National Geographic MapMaker tool by visiting the National Geographic webpage: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/society/education-resources/programs/geography-awareness-week/

Mapping Masterminds Challenge as part of GIS Day 2023

GIS Day is around the corner…please join us for festivities in the Parks Library in Ames, Iowa on Wednesday, November 15, 2023. For GIS Day details: https://www.gis.iastate.edu/gis-day-2023. Also if you have a StoryMap or GIS app or GIS poster or regular paper map – please enter the mapping competition. The competition is open to all, i.e. anyone else reading this, we want to see your mapping skills. 🙂 There will be prizes! https://tinyurl.com/mappingmasterminds

Join us for Geospatial Career Day – 10/10/2023

In celebration of Earth Science Week (Oct. 8–14), IowaView and the ISU GIS Support and Research Facility will host an Earth Observation Geospatial Career Day from 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 10, in 206 Durham Center at Iowa State University. GIS professionals will share short presentations discussing their jobs and career paths. Students can learn more about the geographic information science (GISC) minor and GIS graduate certificate program. Lunch and refreshments will be provided. Please join us!

Iowa Map Contest – Tell Your Stories, Spread the Word

Here’s a great opportunity for Iowa students in grades 4-12. The Iowa Map Contest is an ArcGIS Online Story Map competition for students to tell Iowa stories. Each school can submit up to five entries. Entries are due Monday, May 8, 2023. For more information about the Iowa Map Contest, visit the contest website: https://sites.google.com/site/iowamapcontest/.



World Water Day 2023 – How are you using your resource?

Water: A Global Resource is an ArcGIS StoryMap, developed by Mary Schorse and Tracy DeLiberty (DelawareView), designed to give you background on what we mean by 'water resources.'
A StoryMap developed by Mary Schorse and Tracy DeLiberty (DelawareView)

Have you ever thought about how much water it takes to make a pair of jeans? To produce a pound of corn? Or to make a car? What if you had a limited amount of water and had to decide how to “spend” your precious resource? Water: A Global Resource is an ArcGIS StoryMap, developed by Mary Schorse and Tracy DeLiberty (DelawareView), is designed to give you background on what we mean by ‘water resources.’ The lessons are also designed to stimulate your thinking about how we use, protect and monitor this precious, limited natural resource.

Water: A Global Resource is an ArcGIS StoryMap, developed by Mary Schorse and Tracy DeLiberty (DelawareView), designed to give you background on what we mean by 'water resources.'
Screen shot from the Water: A Global Resource StoryMap

Resource Links:

Schorse, M. and T. DeLiberty. 2022. Water: A Global Resource StoryMap (Middle School Lessons) – https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/af7e043b7a104858a300c08ed2ead7c7

Schorse, M. and T. DeLiberty. 2022. Water: Today and for the Future StoryMap (Elementary Lessons) – https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/5940fb947ae54b06ac7a184ab42b7dbd

Photos from ISU GIS Day 2022

Celebrating 30 years of GIS at ISU today on GIS Day! We also celebrated the 50th anniversary of Landsat and were able to hand out playing cards, refreshments, posters, and other educational materials. This was a great opportunity for our staff in the GIS facility to share the work that they are doing, and teach others about GIS.

Celebrate with us today! 30 years of GIS at ISU!!!

Today is GIS Day! We are celebrating in the North atrium of the College of Design. Today is an especially exciting celebration as we are also celebrating the 30th anniversary of the ISU GIS Facility on campus and 50 years of the US Landsat, earth observing satellite mission. Please join us in the College of Design from 11:30am to 2:00 pm. We will have several activities, puzzles, refreshments, educational giveaways, and door prizes.

For additional information and directions, visit: https://www.design.iastate.edu/event-listings/2022/11/gis-day-open-house-event/.

Geography Awareness Week Events You Won’t Want to Miss!

Please consider joining our in-person event in the College of Design in Ames, Iowa. Here are a few virtual events taking place during Geography Awareness Week:

Monday, November 14, 2022 – 10 am (Central) – People, Plants, and You! presented by Maria Fadiman – Join National Geographic Explorer Maria Fadiman to learn how people connect with plants around the globe–and the importance of geography! https://www.nationalgeographic.org/tickets/explorer-classroom/event/PeoplePlantsAndYou/

Wednesday, November 16, 2022 – 10 am to 4pm – 2022 GeoTech Center Virtual GIS Day
Speakers will present on a number of GIS related topics throughout the day – View Agenda https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/23b6ae31a4e8443290a6efbd868b4c20

Wednesday, November 16, 2022 – 1 pm (Central) – Live GIS Day Facebook Live Event with Joseph Kerski
Join geographer, educator, and GIS professional Joseph Kerski to (1) Celebrate the users of GIS, (2) Explore why maps and geotechnologies are relevant to 21st Century problem-solving, and (3) Discover how you can make your own maps and pursue your own learning! https://fb.me/e/3PtnqfMUz

Thursday, November 17, 2022 – 1 pm (Central) – The Art and Science of Sustainability presented by E Wen Wong – Learn how National Geographic Explorer E Wen Wong’s organization relies on both art and science to illustrate how we are impacting the environment and to inspire positive environmental change.
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/tickets/explorer-classroom/event/ArtandScienceofSustainability2/

Are you Counting Down to GIS Day 2022?

Wednesday, November 16, 2022, the Iowa State University GIS Facility will be hosting an open house event for GIS Day from 11:30 to 2:00 in the North atrium of the College of Design.

This year we will also be celebrating the 30th anniversary of the ISU GIS Facility and 50 years of Landsat, the US Land Satellite mission. We will have refreshments and giveaways. It will be a chance for students interested in the GIS minor and GIS certificate programs to ask questions and to meet with GIS professionals. We have confirmed professionals from the Iowa Department of Transportation coming to showcase some of their work. If other GIS professionals are interested in reserving time to meet with students, please contact Amy Logan.

How are you celebrating the Landsat’s Golden Jubilee?

This image is from the Camp Landsat website: https://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/outreach/camp-landsat/

To celebrate the Landsat Golden Jubilee, consider taking a virtual visit to Camp Landsat! This summer Camp Landsat is celebrating this exciting anniversary with 5 weeks of programming, celebrating the 5 decades of Landsat’s continuous mission. This week the theme is People and Places.

Enjoy and explore many activities from Camp Landsat including:

Graphic from GLOBE Program Website: https://observer.globe.gov/do-globe-observer/challenges/land-cover-challenge-2022

Stay Cool and Keep Observing!