End Notes The project was successful, but it took a few attempts to get it right. Obenhaus and Vidaurre worked together to find a quantitative approach for locating wells. Vidaurre ran chi-square tests to first determine if access to a deep-drilled well was an advantage. She found there was an advantage: the data showed a strong correlation between the presence of E. coli and hand-dug wells and open springs. By finding the best location for six wells, 1,180 children in need would have access to clean water. "Because of learning GIS, writing the paper, and presenting the results, I feel more prepared for life," said Vidaurre. "As a high school senior, I was networking with CEOs to fund-raise for my project. It helped me feel more confident as an intern working at a health systems IT company." The CEO and others were impressed by her project and, during her summer internship, had Vidaurre present ways GIS could benefit their company. Esri Is Your Total Solution Provider Total solutions from Esri can provide technology you need at prices you can afford. Esri works with leading hardware vendors to provide bundled solutions that include ArcGIS® Server, ArcGIS Desktop, ArcPad®, and much more. For example, you can purchase an ArcGIS Data Appliance or a server, workstation, notebook, PDA/GPS, or Tablet PC bundled with ArcGIS software. Custom hardware-only configurations are also available to existing Esri customers. For more information on promotional offers, visit www.esri.com/hardware or call your local Esri office. Offers are updated frequently. Presentations about her work in Haiti not only resulted in donations for her project but made her a recipent of the Spirit of Philanthropy Youth award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). After graduation, Obenhaus brought Vidaurre to Haiti to see the results of her work. Looking back on the experience Vidaurre said, "I have traveled in Latin America, but I had never seen a country that was so underdeveloped. I saw babies who were malnourished and kids with bellies bloated from worms. It was important to me to see the places I mapped and meet people. It wasn't just about wells, because personal experiences and new relationships remain most important to me." Obenhaus keeps Vidaurre, who is now a junior at the University of Rochester, up-to-date on the latest work done at Maison de Naissance. Difficulties in gathering data have made it difficult to show a decline in rates of pediatric waterrelated diseases. Nonetheless, Dr. Stan Shaffer, director of Maison de Naissance, sees the work of Obenhaus and his students as beneficial. "In poor communities, such as the villages of rural Haiti, it is critically important that health needs be carefully defined so that critical resources can be targeted for their highest impact," said Shaffer. "Steve and students such as Liz are demonstrating how mapping is an essential tool for organizing health information. You wouldn't attempt microbiology without a microscope, so it's not surprising that Steve Obenhaus says that we shouldn't attempt community health work without good maps." Obenhaus' students continue working on the wells project. For example, they found that not only were new wells needed, but old wells had to be repaired. The latest student projects look at other health-related issues such as what happens to the quality of water once it leaves a well. Students found that just because water is clean at its source does not mean people drink clean water, so they are now trying to figure out how collection and storage methods affect water quality. Obenhaus, who is clearly an inspiration to his students, downplays his influence. "It's easy to look good when you are surrounded by smart kids who work really hard to make a difference in the world," said Obenhaus. "To me, this is not work, it's fun." In 2007, Obenhaus was selected at the state level to receive a Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. Obenhaus' teaching approach can be replicated for advanced placement human geography, math, community service programs, and other courses, both traditional and nontraditional. For more information, contact Steve Obenhaus at sobenhauson@olatheschools.com. ArcUser Spring 2009 69 www.esri.com Copyright © 2008 Esri. All rights reserved.