Progress 09/15/04 to 08/31/09
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The Missouri Geospatial Extension Program (MoGEP) started September 2004 and ended August 2009. A Geospatial Extension Specialist (GES) was hired in January 2004 after program planning and support systems were in place. MoGEP also used a grant funded graduate research assistant, NASA space grant funded undergraduate students and volunteer faculty, staff and students to assist in the many outreach activities organized through the program. The overall mission of the MoGEP was to help educate the cadre of external agencies, local community-based organizations and MU Extension about geospatial technologies and assist in training, development and use of geospatial technologies. The GES served as trainer, organizer, and team-builder by bringing together a diverse group of external agencies, local community-based organizations and MU Extension to assist in this process. The grant activities fall into the three categories that mirror the grant purposes. 1.) Create a Geospatial Extension Program. Activities involved development of an office for geospatial outreach at the University of Missouri. A program website (http://geospatial.missouri.edu/about.html) describes on-going activities. The program is fully integrated into the daily operations of the Department of Geography and the Geographic Resources Center at the University of Missouri. Additionally, the GES participates in national eXtension efforts through the Map@Syst community of practice (http://www.extension.org/pages/Map@Syst_Community_Page). 2.) State and National Geospatial Training and Education. Training and education programs were organized and run over the duration of this grant. The GES is a member of the state GIS Advisory committee and worked on data development and education and outreach issues with local government agencies. Included was work with local municipalities doing county assessment of GIS/aerial photography/GPS expertise. This involvement enabled the GES to promote the use of the National Geospatial Technology Extension Network (NGTEN) resources to further the understanding and use of geospatial technologies. Professional presentations and networking was a high priority for the GES. Activities included working with over 20 organizations and groups to develop an online presence for geospatial technology education and to assist anyone within the region with geospatial questions, projects and activities. 3.) Provide Geospatial leadership and training for 4-H. The MoGEP has been active in statewide 4-H activities. Presentations and workshops at local, county and state level 4-H conferences, and meetings were given to familiarize and promote geospatial tools and technologies. While GPS was the dominant topic in 4-H programs, general mapping skills and introductory GIS activities were also central to the outreach. During the 5-year duration of the grant summer camps, local club workshops, state and county fairs and state and national 4-H conference presentations were organized by the GES based on common themes of community mapping, youth and leader training, water quality mapping and emergency preparedness programs. PARTICIPANTS: Individuals working on the grant included: Gail S. Ludwig, PI; Provided grant leadership and grant oversight for project duration; Nathan Matox; Geospatial Extension Specialist hired in January 2005. Responsibility was being the primary geospatial contact for Missouri. He initiated and organized all grant geospatial activities. He left this position in January 2008. Shannon White; Hired in December, 2008 as Geospatial Extension Specialist. She continues in this position now. Craig Soper; Graduate Research Assistant; Worked one year as GRA for project. MA Thesis written on decision support systems developed in conjunction with grant. Evan Patton; Graduate Research Assistant; Supported GES by helping in geospatial education and training activities. Dianne Roberts; Fiscal manager for grant activities; Monitored all fiscal activities and was responsible for submitting and administrating all grant funds. Martin Wills; Web Administrator; Developed and maintains GES website and data for grant projects Partner Organizations: Alert, Evaluate, Evacuate project Partners: University of Nevada - Reno; VA State University; Louisiana State University; University of GA Cooperative Extension; Brookhaven College; Oregon State University; eXtension Map@Syst: John Nowatzki, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND; Greg Bonynge, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI; Stewart Bruce, Washington College, Maryland; Shane Bradt, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH; Amy Hays, Texas A&M Institute of Renewable Natural Resources, Gatesville, TX; John McGee, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA; Sandy Prisloe, University of Connecticut, Haddam, CT; Barron Orr, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ; Phil Rasmussen,Utah State University, Salt Lake City, Utah; Chris Dillard, Auburn University, Alabama; Ohio State University; University of Kentucky - Lexington; North Carolina State University; Other Partner Organizations: University of Nebraska -Lincoln (4-H Technology- based Workshop); University of Nebraska - Omaha (eXtension/NGTEN program); Columbia Public Schools (Career Center); Collaborators and Contacts: Other Partner Activities; AgrowKnowledge - The National Resource Center for Agriscience & Technology Education (Geospatial/Remote Sensing collaborative tutorials); National Geographic Society and MO Geographic Alliance (professional development collaboration; Missouri GIS Advisory Council (MGISAC); Mid-Missouri User Group (MMUG); National Council for Geographic Education (Research committee membership); Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI); USGS; Mid-America GIS Consortium (MAGIC) - Rural GIS workshop and support of the MAGIC Symposium; NASA Space Grant (MU college of Engineering); Training or professional development: 4h leaders; eExtension National Conference; Columbia Career Center;; Rockbridge State Park (collaborative partner with Geo-Tech camp); TARGET AUDIENCES: Formal and Informal Educators: K-12 rural youth through activities such as GIS Day in the schools; 4H groups (traditional and military-youth groups); State Fair (reaches across all sectors of economic and racial); 4-H technology conference in St. Louis hosted by Washington University at Forest Park; K-12 national and state presentations through organizations such as ASCD, NCGE, ESRI EdUC, GeoTech; Dallas, TX; Ward 1 Community Action Board; Columbia, MO (predominately minority and low SES); General public targeted in content developed for eXtension Map@Syst community and through the "Ask an Expert" effort; Establishment of geospatial summer camps 2008 and continuing to date; Guest lectures in courses in MU College of Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation; In-Service Education and professional development with 4-H Staff/Faculty throughout project period; Instruction to youth regarding GPS and GIS technology; GIS Day events at the State Fair, Missouri State Capital Building, and in K-12 schools; Informal training of sheriff's deputies in Mercer County; Distance education efforts with Mineral Area Community College, Boone County and rural Missouri; Missouri AeroSpace camp - GPS development; eXtension Map@Syst community and through the "Ask an Expert" effort, article and content development, and FAQs; PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
The outcomes and impacts of this program have been significant. The GES position at the University of Missouri is now funded by MU Extension. The GES is a member of the university faculty and maintains a visible and active presence within the MU Geography Department and the MU Geographic Resources Center. A primary goal of the grant was to "institutionalize" the GES position and that goal has been met. The GES is recognized at the state and local level as the primary contact person for geospatial information, education and training. The GES has gained voting membership in the Missouri GIS Advisory Council (MGISAC). National recognition of the position and its mission is also continuing and expanding. The GES has been elected to serve on the National Council for Geographic Education research committee and has taken a leadership role in the National eXtension Map@Syst community programming efforts. As a member of the Map@Syst community the GES was involved in the initial proposal working group; was the initial membership chair; continues in recruitment of other community of practice members; attends monthly virtual content work days and meetings and participates in content development and review for the Map@Syst eXtension website. National projects such as the 4-H Alert, Evacuate and Shelter Program and work with the AgrowKnowledge network regarding remotes sensing (http://www.agrowknow.org/) are continuing. State tourism development projects such as the MO Tourism Mapping Project, Missouri Regional Cuisines Project, Missouri River Education Project used the expertise of the GES. Other important outcomes of this project have been the integration of community mapping activities throughout the state. Geospatial education efforts in the formal K-12 realm have been begun through a partnership with the Missouri Geographic Alliance that the GES participates in as a member of the Steering Committee. The GES also has assisted in the work of the ESRI/National Geographic GeoMentor program as an participant and advocate to bridge the need for geospatial professionals to assist their local schools and educators in geospatial education efforts. Numerous training opportunities for 4-H youth and leaders have elevated mapping and geospatial education knowledge throughout the state. GIS day activities, state fair programs and geospatial summer camps are just a few of the many diverse activities now being coordinated. The MoGEP continues to promote geospatial activities through collaborative activities with other University of Missouri programs and grants. Recent grant activity includes "Playgrounds without Borders" a joint project with the MU School of Medicine. This project is using GPS data integrated into a Geographica Information System (GIS) to help minority children improve access to and use of their neighborhood environments to promote a high level of physical activity to combat obesity. This type of grant activity is increasing and it is anticipated that the involvement of the GES in university and state/local projects will continue to grow.
Publications
- White, S. H. 2009. Focusing the Spatial Lens in the Classroom. ASCD (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development) Express. Available online at: http://www.ascd.org/ascd_express/vol4/421_toc.aspx
- White, S.H. Winter 2009/2010. GIS Day Success Stories: Summers@Mizzou Geo-Tech Camp. ArcNews 30:4 (accepted)
- Soper, C. 2006. Groundwater Vulnerability to Agrochemicals: A GIS-based Drastic Model Analysis of Carroll, Chariton, and Saline Counties, Missouri, USA. Master Thesis, University of Missouri.
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Progress 10/01/05 to 09/30/06
Outputs
In March 2006, University of Missouri Extension hosted its first conference on Community Mapping. Community Mapping is a concept for GIS development which seeks to train citizens in the basics of GPS and GIS so that they can begin to provide data applicable to small-scale mapping programs and projects within their community. 80 participants received 2 days of training in basic GIS, GPS, web-based GIS resources, and free GIS software. There were 4 specified subject areas to provide a context for the training which have also been identified as priority emphasis for MU and MU Extension: 1. Disaster Preparedness, 2. Water Quality, 3. Health and Wellness, and 4. Agri-Tourism. 3 of the 4 subject areas were developed in collaboration with state agencies. Two of the following program reports are next level projects stemming from this conference. These projects are viewed as introductory and can provide a context for collecting spatial data that is important to local interests.
It is hoped that through this training schedule, youth and adults will be able to communicate issues in the community more effectively through the use of geospatial technology. A program developed through joint research funding from NASA/USDA and University of Missouri Extension for using local citizens to collect locations and information about emergency shelters was started in Missouri. 1 statewide and 1 regional workshop have been conducted training 27 Extension educators and roughly 10 local government participants. Extension educators have conducted 3 additional workshops with an additional 15 participants trained. The focus of this training is to meet a data need within the National Spatial Data Infrastructure for emergency management. This project was the subject of the post-conference activity at the National 4H Technology Leadership conference this summer, where 50 Extension educators, 4H Youth, and adult partners were trained in gathering spatial data, centralizing results,
and properly mapping data that was gathered in the field. Additional trainings are planned for FY2007, seeking to incorporate Shelter Mapping with Alert systems, and Evacuation mapping. Trainings are planned for counties susceptible to hurricanes along the Gulf Coast and the Southern to Mid-Atlantic States. A tourism based mapping program was started in the Missouri Bootheel. The Missouri GES portion of this program is to teach basic GPS and data collection methods to citizen volunteers and then developing map based products that can be displayed in visitor's centers and be made available through online mapping products. 1 training has been held with 12 participants. To date, we have received 171 locations (with photos) in the mapping database as a result of the one training. Completed an online survey system to determine local based needs for aerial photography. This was completed by the GES and launched in January 2006. The survey has received 140 answers from local governments
throughout the state stating the imagery needs that they have. This project has been passed on to the Missouri State Geographic Information Officer for further review, funding ideas, RFPs, and contracts for imagery flight.
Impacts
The impact of the Community Mapping Conference can already be felt through a greater willingness of Extension educators to participate, learn, develop, and teach geospatial techniqiues as well as context of using geospatial technology. Since the conference, we have held one regional training that was broadcast over ITV to three additional sites. We are now grooming 4 youth and adult partnership Community Mapping projects in the state, specifically focused on disaster preparedness and emergency shelter mapping. These projects are designed to be simplistic to encourage citizen involvement at all levels. The disaster preparedness project will also serve to meet a data need for numerous state agencies, the Red Cross, as well as local emergency shelter managers. The expected impact of the tourism project is that more travellers will be able to learn about local interest restaurants, historic sites, etc. and that they will visit and infuse money into the local economy. This
project is a pilot and if successful it will grow into a larger scale project. All of the projects seek to increase a general knowledge in the area of geospatial tchnology. The expected impact of the aerial imagery survey is to allow local, state, and national interests to cooperatively purchase commercial imagery saving a potentially large sum of money for the same or better level of imagery. A cooperative agreement with federal and state partners would also open the usage of the data to anyone.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 10/01/04 to 09/30/05
Outputs
General Coordination: The GES is active in the State GIS Advisory Committee through attendance of monthly meetings. The GES has been recruited and serves on many working subcommittees: Data Development, Local Government, Strategic Planning, and Education and Outreach. Serving on these committees allowed the GES to work alongside state, regional, and local governmental agencies to accomplish the goals of all defined GES activities listed below. The Missouri GES remains active in the National Geospatial Technology Extension Network. The GES is working to build regional GIS users groups to support educational efforts and teamwork in strengthening the Missouri Spatial Data Infrastructure. The GES facilitated a meeting of the GES Advisory Board to report on activities and gain feedback from stakeholders. Overall the GES has been active in each of the three activity areas listed in the proposal while remaining engaged with the spirit of Extension by responding to the needs
of the community. NASA Decision Support Tools Extension: 1) Research on existing Decision Support Tools to determine applicability to target audiences. Research done by the GES and also student intern 2) Attended the NASA/USDA Decision Support Workshop in New Orleans. Gained a view of the scope and use of decision support nationally and how that could be translated into a Missouri program. 3) Funded a graduate student, Craig Soper. His thesis topic was titled, Groundwater Vulnerability to Agricultural Chemical Applications for Saline, Carroll, and Chariton Counties, Missouri. This model can be tested for applicability in other areas of Missouri and/or states. Ultimately, this could be the basis of a groundwater vulnerability analysis tool. 4) Visited numerous county Extension offices to find a target market for training efforts and determine how geospatial technology and decision support tools fit into their existing program offerings. 4H and Youth: 1) Participate in State and
National 4H GIS/GPS planning teams. 2) Planned and participated in the 4H GIS day at the State Fair. 3) Held training sessions for 4H youth in Adair, St. Louis, and Callaway Counties. Total of 50 youth participated. 4) Held training sessions for 4H leaders 50 4H Specialists trained 5) Attended the ESRI Conference as a Missouri sponsor. 6) Other trainings and presentations: The Missouri Business Information Technology Institute, Missouri GIS Conference, Extension Water Quality Specialists meeting. 7) Began planning on large scale education effort for Extension to be held in March 2006. Education effort is based on Community Mapping. Orthoimagery Education: 1) Developed needs assessment survey for the Data Development Subcommittee of the Missouri GIS Advisory Committee. Used Regional Planning Commission technical leads as the primary point of contact in order to provide a greater level of support. Piloted in one region with 5 of 7 counties responding. Survey will be pushed out statewide
in early January. 2) Worked with Extension Specialists to determine how Orthoimagery could expand current service capabilities as well as create more opportunities for them to serve their community of interest.
Impacts
(Numbers match numbers in Progress Report) Specific impacts of general coordination are difficult to quantify. General impacts are to give Extension a presence in the Missouri GIS community, provide the GIS community access to all areas of the state through Extension, and to increase the number and coordination of education efforts as well as promoting data development activities. NASA Decision Support: 1 and 2) The expected impact is to for decision makers to use the appropiate information when making decisions. 3) Full impact is not yet known. Applicability of the model to other areas of the state is being investigated. 4) Knowledge of specific issues on a county by county basis assists the GES in determining what models are useful. 4H and Youth: 1) through 8) To increase the geospatial knowledge in youth. The GES is working to teach why location is an important element in all areas of life. Specific impacts can be measured in numbers of trained youth (50) and youth
specialists (50). The full impact will be more specifically defined given more time and more potential projects designed for youth to participate in their community. Orthoimagery Education: 1) This activity will have a specific dollars and cents impact on the State of Missouri. Multiple levels of government collect similar data for similar purposes. A coordinated effort will result in great cost savings to the state and its citizens, a better data product, and a data product that will have statewide continuity. 2) The expected impact is more timely and better information for those that use Extension services.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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