Abstract

LIONS: Making Communities Spatial
Track: Community Projects and Partnerships
Author(s): Bob Coulter

LIONS is a geospatially enriched after-school and summer program based in St. Louis, Missouri. See how students in high minority / low income communities are leveraging GIS and GPS to better understand their community, and then take action to create improvements. Whether the issue is racial segregation, urban forest cover, or wildlife migration, students are experiencing the power of geospatial analysis first-hand using a variety of mapping tools. This presentation focuses on the opportunities and challenges of managing the students' projects, and on the impact the work has on their teachers' day-to-day classroom practice. Larger issues such as doing geospatial inquiry in schools on each side of the digital divide, and in working through elective programs rather than the core school curriculum are also considered.

Bob Coulter
Missouri Botanical Garden
9711 Litzsinger Road
Saint Louis , Missouri 63124
United States
Phone: 314-442-6737
E-mail: bob.coulter@mobot.org