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The University of Northern Colorado's Geography and GIS department will be hosting an OpenStreetMap Humanitarian Mapathon in Greeley on the campus of UNC as part of GIS Day. This will be part of a - a joint mapathon and "Map-off" with events in Fort Collins (CSU), Boulder (CU), Golden (School of Mines), and Denver (Metro State). Come out and show your BEAR PRIDE!
It will be in the GIS Lab (Room 2110) in Candelaria Hall, with overflow mapping in Candelaria 2035.
Using satellite imagery we will be mapping buildings in the Mbulu District of Tanzania. Tanzania has a very high incidence of Female Genital Mutilation, extreme poverty, early marriage and Gender Based Violence. NGOs on the ground need better maps to facilitate their outreach work and protect girls at risk of FGM.
We've prepared a quick start guide for the mapathon
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iElUAtt6nVTTkXOj8F4TRtlSfLuWQzeYGQWPrzzCQcE/edit?usp=sharing
Please take a moment to look at the guide and setup a user name before the mapathon. We'll offer brief instruction right at 5, followed by mapping.
FREE PIZZA will be provided. If you are planning on attending, please RSVP so we can get a count for ordering.
This event is open to the public and no experience is necessary. The process is simple, and experienced people will be on hand to get participants started and to answer questions. ***If you are not a UNC student or employee, you will need to bring a laptop computer along with an external mouse or other external "pointing device". Don't forget to bring a charger for your laptop if you don't think your battery will support 2 hours of heavy use. ***
Parking on campus is free after 5 pm.
Here is the location of the building in which the event will be held shown on OpenStreetMap:
https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/208473295#map=18/[masked]/[masked]
Once in the building come to the top level and look for us in the southeast corner of the building.
FAQs:
Q: What software/platform will we be using?
A: You can make edits using any OpenStreetMap editor. We will provide instructions for the iD Editor (http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/ID), and there will probably be several mappers in attendance who will be using the the more advanced JOSM Editor (http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/JOSM).
Q: What should I do to prepare?
A: No preparation is necessary, however, if you don't have an OpenStreetMap account you can create one ahead of time here (https://www.openstreetmap.org/user/new). Learning resources are available at learnosm.org (http://learnosm.org/en/beginner/introduction/) and MapGive (http://mapgive.state.gov/learn-to-map/) . However, none of this is required ahead of time.
Q: Do I have to bring anything?
A: If you are not a UNC student or employee, please bring a laptop computer and an external mouse.
Q: What can I expect?
A: A "quick start" guide will be provided as well, and experienced folks will be on hand to answer questions. Then it is just folks sitting around mapping from imagery and socializing. Some of that socializing will probably be about the mapping ("how do I...?" or "how would you map this?"), but most will probably not be. I will tabulate the results after and send out to the participants.
Q: Does participation in a humanitarian mapathon count toward my GISP?
A: I corresponded with the GISCI and they indicated it does. I don't have other details as to what category it may be listed under. Be sure I have your contact info and make me aware that you need documentation for the GISP.
Q: I can't make it exactly at 5:00 pm, can I come late?
A: Absolutely! Arrive at any time and leave at any time. These are very laid back informal events.
Q: I am a long ways from Greeley (or otherwise cannot attend in person), can I participate remotely?
A: Yes, it won't be nearly as much fun as hanging out in person with 50+ other map geeks, but you can participate remotely using the quick start guide above
