GIS in Education

GIS K12 Education

The use of geospatial technologies (GT), especially geographic information systems (GIS) and global positioning systems (GPS), are important tools used in today’s complex world to help solve problems. These tools can also be used to help educators, students, and their institutions answer personal and community-based questions with local to global implications. Efforts are underway to integrate GT into STEM curriculum in grades K-12 throughout Tennessee with researchers at Vanderbilt University leading the way. Dr. Janey Camp and Vanderbilt GIS Coordinator, Lindsey Fox, have begun training teachers on the use of GT for use in their STEM-focused classrooms to solve “real world” problems. Workshops for high school and middle school teachers have been held regularly in the Middle Tennessee area since 2011. Please stay tuned for other offerings and opportunities to get involved.

Our Efforts

• Working to secure a statewide ESRI ArcGIS license for K-12 Education with STEM Hub Partners
• Providing support for teachers that have participated in past workshops
• STEM Hub Partners:
  1. Upper Cumberland Rural STEM Initiative (UCRSI) - http://www.ucrsi.org/
  2. Middle Tennessee STEM Innovation Hub – http://midtnstem.com/
  3. East Tennessee STEM Hub (STEMspark) – Knox County STEM Hub

For more information contact Dr. Janey Camp at janey.camp@vanderbilt.edu