ENGAGING YOUTH in

COMMUNITIES through
TECHNOLOGY

CYFAR 2007

Hyatt Regency McCormick Place

Chicago, Illinois
May 2, 2007
 PRESENTERS

LISA BOUILLION, Ph.D.

Extension Specialist — Science,
Engineering & Technology

STEVE WAGONER, M.S.

Extension Educator — Youth Development

University of Illinois Extension

 Session Goals

 Introduce uses of GPS and GIS within

youth development efforts
 Share findings from research
conducted within related programs
 Highlight how these technologies
position youth as resources within
their communities
 Provide tangible strategies, ideas, and
resources for starting similar efforts
 Three Visions for
Technology in Education

 Learning FROM technology

 Learning ABOUT technology

 Learning WITH technology

(Jonassen, 2000)
 Youth Development Goals

 Lifelong learners
Learning
WITH  Active problem solvers and
agents of change
Technolog
y  Engaged citizens

 Productive workers
 Engaging Youth in
Communities

Technology

Youth Community
Interests Issues
Partnerships
What is GPS and GIS?
 Global Positioning
System (GPS)
 Satellite-based navigation system
 Determines an exact location in latitude,
longitude, and altitude within 100 meters
 Determines its location by comparing the
signals of four of the 24 GPS satellites orbiting
earth (From GPS Land Navigation by Michael
Ferguson)
 Geographic Information
System (GIS)
GIS combines layers of information about a
place to improve understanding.
 GPS and GIS
APPLICATIONS
COMMERCE and RECREATIONAL
GOVERNMENT
 Agriculture  Hiking
 Military  Hunting
 Maritime
 Nature study
 Automotive
 Fishing
 Surveying
 Boating
 Aviation

 Forestry
 Biking
 Environmental
 Skiing
 Public safety
 Snowmobiling
 Geocaching
 FORESTRY
Foresters use GPS and
GIS to check forest
health — locating
diseased trees and
monitoring insects.
 PUBLIC SAFETY
Location and status
information provided to
public safety systems
through GPS and GIS
improves emergency
response from police,
fire, and rescue crews.
 LOCAL PROJECTS in
PROGRESS

Monroe County Restaurant Guide

 Three middle schoolers
 Mapped 18 kid-friendly restaurants in
Waterloo and Columbia, Illinois

 Determined criteria for the map

(Collected data on hours of operation, drive-
thru,
dine-in, menu items under $, kids’ meal
choices, featured toys or prizes, and overall
rating)
 MONROE COUNTY
RESTAURANT GUIDE
Columbia, Illinois Sites
Community Mapping
Process
STEP 1: IDENTIFY...
STEP 2: COLLECT...

STEP 3: MAP...

STEP 4: SHARE...

STEP 5: ACT...
 Examples of Potential
Community Mapping
Projects
 Public access to computers and the Internet
 After-school programs
 Condition of city sidewalks, streetlights, etc.
 Bike paths and related danger zones
 Places difficult to access for senior citizens
and the physically disabled
 Patterns of illegal trash dumping
 Fire hydrants and emergency water sources
 Cell towers and signal strength
 Access to fresh fruits and vegetables
Potential Map Audiences
and Project Partners
 School District
 Parents
 City Council
 Department of Housing or Social
Services
 Chamber of Commerce
 Libraries
 Police Department
 Local Businesses
 Potential Mapping
Mentors
 Local schools
 City government
 Community colleges
 Local businesses
 Utility companies
 Transportation
 Natural resource agencies

ESRI Local User Groups:

http://gis2.esri.com/usersupport/usergroups/usergr
Community Mapping
Process
STEP 1: IDENTIFY...

STEP 2: COLLECT...
STEP 3: MAP...

STEP 4: SHARE...

STEP 5: ACT...
 Range of Data Collection
Tools
 GPS
 Road maps
 Online databases (e.g. census
bureau)
 Datasheets
 Community surveys

* Important to think about how to

map different kinds of data!
Community Mapping
Process
STEP 1: IDENTIFY...

STEP 2: COLLECT...

STEP 3: MAP...
STEP 4: SHARE...

STEP 5: ACT...
 Elements of Mapping

 Input data
 Create a legend
 Make decisions about which
layers to show on different maps
 Consider how to incorporate
supporting documentation
Community Mapping
Process
STEP 1: IDENTIFY...

STEP 2: COLLECT...

STEP 3: MAP...

STEP 4: SHARE...
STEP 5: ACT...
Community Mapping
Process
STEP 1: IDENTIFY...

STEP 2: COLLECT...

STEP 3: MAP...

STEP 4: SHARE...

STEP 5: ACT...
 Getting Started…

Small group brainstorming and

online exploration

 http://www.hopeworks.org/
 http://www.census.gov/
 http://www.esri.com/industries/k-12/
Questions??