2019 ASHS Annual Conference

Through YouthMappers, students in both the US and developing nations participate in GIS mapping of undermapped areas of the world. Projects are wide ranging, and cover the fields of agriculture, healthcare, democracy, business and emergency response. Recent examples of projects include mapping the location of soybean production areas and value chains in Ghana, describing incidence and impact of malaria in Zambia, mapping infrastructure in Kenya to support community advocacy for improved services, and disaster risk reduction mapping in Bangladesh. The opportunities for real-world challenges to be addressed by YouthMappers chapters are limited only by the imagination.

The USAID YouthMappers program comprises a network of 141 chapters in 41 countries. These student-led efforts result not only in data generation, but student capacity building and empowerment. Leadership opportunities are numerous including cohorts of Leadership Fellows, Research Fellows, and Visiting Open Data scholars. An alumni network has been formed to provide a mechanism for continued involvement and contribution after YouthMappers join the workforce. YouthMapper chapters function as university clubs, but there could also be the potential to incorporate these activities into a formal class or independent research projects. They use open geographical data, such as OpenStreetMap, to address locally defined development challenges worldwide. Projects are coordinated and data stored by the GeoCenter within USAID in Washington DC. Students from virtually all colleges across our universities could potentially play a role in these projects, giving students experience working in multi-disciplinary teams. YouthMappers is service learning that offers students opportunities for global engagement, leadership development, and both technical and non-cognitive skill development while addressing real-world challenges.