Free virtual celebration of Geography Awareness with Hawaiʻi schools, Nov. 16

Hawaiʻi – All Islands – Learning Endeavors will host a Virtual GIS Day Event on Nov. 16, 2022 in celebration of Geography Awareness Week for Schools across the state. The event features GIS professionals presenting Live to students and educators about their work that uses GIS – Geographic Information Systems, also known as digital mapping software.

Learning Endeavors is offering this free, annual event for students of Grades 5-12. Public, Private and Charter school teachers of any discipline–STEM, science, history, geography, health, economics, or math–are encouraged to participate. Teachers can sign up for their students to participate on the Learning Endeavors website: Learningendeavors.org/gis. Presentations run from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on GIS Day, Nov. 16. There will be prize giveaways after each presenter and geography trivia games. Teachers log into the virtual event with a computer connected to their projector, screen, and speakers and celebrate as a group connected with multiple classrooms across the islands.

Learning Endeavors Executive Director, Diana Papini Warren said, “GIS allows us to visualize critical data and make better decisions in our communities and our world. We want to inspire students to consider GIS as a future STEM career. We are excited to have a conservation and climate science theme this year.”

The Schedule of GIS Presentations is the following:

• 9-9:25: “Mapping Wetlands on Maui” By Robin Knox, Water Quality Consulting Inc.
• 9:30-9:55: “Modeling Sea Level Rise in Hawaiʻi” By Diana Warren, Learning Endeavors
• 10-10:25: “GIS Science in Seabird Conservation” By Jenni Learned, Maui Nui Seabird Recovery
• 10:30-10:55: “Changing Islands & Imagery Analysis in the ArcGIS Living Atlas” By Katie Ornelas, Learning Endeavors.
• 11-11:25: “Understanding Groundwater & Salmon” By Karlee Liddy, UC Santa Cruz Graduate School.
• 11:30-11:55: “How We Use GIS to Save Forest Birds of Hawaiʻi” By Hilary Foster, Maui Forest Birds.

Teachers who want to add the Learning Endeavors GIS Day Event to their Celebration of Geography Awareness Week can sign up on the Learning Endeavors Events page at learningendeavors.org/gis. For more information, call 808-793-3322 or email [email protected].

Learning Endeavors is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization committed to developing and offering innovative education programs in Hawai’i and beyond. It is based in Kīhei on the Island of Maui. GIS is one of several cutting edge technology tools integrated into its programs.