GIS Day Resources and Support

Frequently Asked Questions

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What is GIS Day?
GIS Day is a grassroots event that formalizes the practice of geographic information system (GIS) users and vendors opening their doors to schools, businesses, and the general public to showcase real-world applications of this important technology.
When does GIS Day take place?
GIS Day is the Wednesday of the National Geographic Society's Geography Awareness Week, which is the third week in November. Dates for upcoming GIS Days are as follows:

Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Where is GIS Day located?
GIS Day is a global event. Organizations all over the world that use GIS, or are interested in GIS, are invited to participate by holding or sponsoring an event of their own.
How do I find an event near me?
Use our GIS Day event search engine to find an event near you.
Why host a GIS Day event?
There are currently more than 2,000,000 GIS users in the world, but most of the public is unaware of this technology and how it affects their lives. GIS Day is also a great opportunity for users to share their work with other people in their organization as well as with managers, students, visitors, and their community as a whole. Please look and see what types of activities participants held for last year's GIS Day, and read their success stories.
What type of event should I hold?
We encourage you to hold the type of event that best suits your goals. Some ideas are listed below, but you are free to design your own unique event. Please refer to "How to Host a Successful GIS Day Event" for a larger list of events and activities.
  • Host an open house—Conduct facility tours and do presentations or demonstrations on how your organization uses GIS.
  • Work with educational institutions—Work with schools, libraries, or museums to do a presentation or demonstration showing what GIS is, how it affects your community, and how they can use GIS.
  • Create a map gallery—Put together a map gallery with the help of other users at a library or museum.
  • Present at an organizational meeting—Place GIS in your community by having it included on the agenda of a town meeting, Chamber of Commerce meeting, Scout meeting, Junior Achievement meeting, Lions Club, Kiwanis, etc., and give a presentation or demonstration.
For more ideas, please see the vast array of successful events other organizations held last year on GIS Day.
What if I want to register, but I don't know what type of event I will hold yet?
Go ahead and register your event and select TBD (to be determined) as your event type. You can use the update form to update your information at any time.
What materials will I receive to assist my organization with this event?
Information and materials including signs, posters, PowerPoint presentations, banners, and other materials for use during, and prior to, your event are available online on the Materials page. There is also a screen saver as well as the GIS Day logo for use on T-shirts and/or buttons or other promotional items you may choose to make for your event.
  • Also available online are documents containing information to help you design your event and activities. Additionally, there are templates for use in announcing your event to the press, in creating a GIS Day Web site, and in inviting guests to your event.
  • Materials provided for your GIS Day events allow you the flexibility to host a wide variety of event types—from events with relatively no cost to events subsidized by your company or organization. Please visit the GIS Day Materials page often to view new ideas or interactive demos for use free of charge in your GIS Day events.
What are some interactive activity ideas for GIS Day?
The National Geographic Society, a principal sponsor of GIS Day, has many great resources for interactive, geography-focused activities on their Web site at http://www.nationalgeographic.com/.

In the education area you will find links to lesson plans grouped by grade level: http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/education/ lesson_plans/index.cfm and http://www.nationalgeographic.com/resources/ngo/ education/ideas.html. Each lesson breaks down the materials needed for each exercise as well as the objectives and geography standards that are to be achieved. For example, the Web site introduces an exercise that invites you to explore the reasons why public services such as fire stations or businesses such as banks are located where they are. While these exercises are labeled as classroom/student exercises, adults will also find them interesting as well as informative.

The National Geographic Society's Geography Education Program has established a network of state geographic alliances—grassroots organizations composed mainly of K-12 teachers and university geographers—dedicated to improving and promoting geography education. Many of their Web sites are accessible by linking to http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/education/ teacher_community/index.cfm, these other Web sites have good ideas for interactive activities.
Is financial assistance available?
While there are no monetary funds available to underwrite your event, the GIS Day committee has created materials for use in supporting your event (see the previous two questions for more detailed information). The materials are provided to assist individuals in hosting an event at minimal cost.

Remember, your event does not have to be large. It can be as small as taking an hour to demonstrate GIS to a classroom of students or coworkers. The goal is to educate as many people as possible within your available resources.
Who is sponsoring GIS Day 2008?
The principal sponsors of GIS Day 2008 are the National Geographic Society, the Association of American Geographers (AAG), the University Consortium for Geographic Information Science (UCGIS), the United States Geological Survey, The Library of Congress, Sun Microsystems, Hewlett-Packard, and ESRI.
Are volunteers available?
You may post your request for a volunteer to assist you in your GIS Day event on the GIS Day Web site. This will link you to a discussion forum; there you may seek assistance for your event. The discussion forum is also the place to post your availability to be a volunteer at someone else's event!
Will the materials be both PC and Mac compatible?
Yes, the GIS Day materials and activities were designed to be both Mac and Windows compatible. Please feel free to contact us at gisdayinfo@gisday.com and let us know if you have any problems or issues with specific materials.