{"id":647542,"date":"2024-02-15T06:38:17","date_gmt":"2024-02-15T14:38:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/?post_type=blog&p=647542"},"modified":"2024-02-15T07:53:52","modified_gmt":"2024-02-15T15:53:52","slug":"mapping-guides-culturally-responsive-stem-education","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/blog\/mapping-guides-culturally-responsive-stem-education","title":{"rendered":"Mapping Guides Culturally Responsive STEM Education"},"author":671,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sync_status":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","castos_file_data":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[],"tags":[277452,162592,327142,486372,271],"industry":[],"esri-blog-category":[478442],"esri_blog_department":[478192],"class_list":["post-647542","blog","type-blog","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","tag-diversity","tag-education","tag-equity","tag-inclusion","tag-mapping","esri-blog-category-education","esri_blog_department-gis-for-good"],"acf":{"video_source":"","video_start":"","video_stop":"","short_description":"The Mapping Justice course uses data innovation and visualization tools to envision a more liberated and less oppressed society.","pdf":{"host_remotely":false,"file":"","file_url":""},"flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Read this conversation with Nick Okafor, founder of <\/em>trubel&co<\/em><\/a> and convener of the popular Mapping Justice class, which uses geographic information system (GIS) technology to build science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skill sets and tackle community-based challenges. <\/em><\/h3>\r\n

We last spoke to Nick Okafor in 2021,<\/a> about the successful Mapping Justice summer program for high school students taught through the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Introduction to Technology, Engineering, and Science (MITES) program. Okafor founded trubel&co to expand the program, taking it to southwest Florida via Florida Gulf Coast University and branching it into Michigan and Missouri. Okafor was recently named a National Geographic Explorer for this work.<\/p>\r\n

The Mapping Justice curriculum applies project-based learning and GIS technology for social change. Students have focused on issues that impact them, such as food deserts, the digital divide, gentrification, and disparities in city services.<\/p>\r\n

Okafor provided an update on this work and spoke of overcoming new challenges in his quest to create good trouble<\/em>, a term used by civil rights icon John Lewis to mean standing up for what you believe in.<\/p>\r\n

This interview has been edited and condensed.<\/em><\/p>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Q: What is gained by taking the Mapping Justice program on the road to different schools around the country?<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n

Okafor:<\/strong> Mapping Justice acts as a gauge of what students in a region care about. It reflects the cares of the community in the problems the students want to solve. They make really incredible intersections and discoveries that, honestly, still blow my mind.<\/p>\r\n

I am thinking about students from my first class back in 2020. One was interested in politics. One was interested in LGBT rights. We paired them together, and they researched transgender voter discrimination. They measured how many people this affects and were able to see that, in a lot of swing states, the amount of people disenfranchised\u2014who couldn't vote because of discriminatory voting policies\u2014could have changed 2016 election outcomes. They showed real impacts to policy.<\/p>\r\n

The students are solving with GIS and there are a lot of cool \"uncoveries\"<\/em> they're making. And the more we travel, the more good trouble we can spark in these communities. I'm really excited about the documenting and innovating that's going to happen.<\/p>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"quote","image":648002,"text":"GIS is a tool of discovery and imagination. Students go into data to tell a story, document history, and also reimagine what the community could look like from a more liberatory perspective.","author_name":"Founder and Executive Director, trubel&co","author_profession_organization":"Nick Okafor"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Q: What was it like teaching the course in southwest Florida after the recent devastation from Hurricane Ian, and in a place where colleges and universities can\u2019t use state dollars to teach diversity, equity, and inclusion? <\/strong><\/h3>\r\n

Okafor:<\/strong> It\u2019s been an interesting place for a pilot project. I guess if we can make it work in Florida, we can make it work anywhere.<\/p>\r\n

The opportunity came from the Esri Education Summit at Esri UC in 2022, where I gave a talk about how abolitionist principles could help GIS users create innovation around liberation. It connected with someone at Florida Gulf Coast University who wanted the course there.<\/p>\r\n

It was a place to be! People had just gone through a hurricane, so the ability to focus on environmental justice was immediately relevant. They\u2019re still rebuilding, and they continue to experience climate emergencies. It\u2019s also a place where you\u2019re not allowed to explore identity nor inequality through traditional education systems.<\/p>\r\n

There\u2019s a lot of need in Florida to have culturally responsive work that\u2019s not just creating the space for civic discourse, but that melds technical upskilling in a way that\u2019s inviting for women, people of color, people from different classes. GIS is an incredibly intuitive tool for young folks to explore their community while building data literacy<\/a>.<\/p>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":648012,"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Q: You recently went back to school yourself. What are you focused on?<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n

Okafor:<\/strong> I\u2019m at Stanford University pursuing a doctorate in management science and engineering. It\u2019s a mix of business, technology, and sociology. I\u2019m looking at the practice and pedagogy of what I\u2019m labeling liberatory innovation<\/em>\u2014using data, design, and tech to advance ethics, equity, and justice. It builds on what I learned at Sidewalk Labs to use technology and services to make urban environments more affordable and sustainable.<\/p>\r\n

I think education is going through a shift. We\u2019re training new engineers, new computer scientists, new innovators. I want to make sure there\u2019s a commitment to liberation that\u2019s present from the moment they first learn how to code.<\/p>\r\n

I want anyone who's in this field of innovation\u2014so that could be people making digital products, people creating new resources, people creating new strategies\u2014to think through the impact of the work on society. And so, it's twofold. One, are you aware of the potential to create good and do you know how all these cool tools you're learning could be applied to help communities, to promote liberation? And two, are you aware of the ways these tools have created harm; the history of technological bias, of unethical data practices, of the ways that AI can actually target disadvantaged communities?<\/p>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"gallery","gallery_images":[647972,647992,647962]},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Q: You speak of liberation and abolition. What do those words mean today?<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n

Okafor:<\/strong> It\u2019s something that has continued since the abolition of slavery. A lot of ways it enters our work is in relation to the prison-industrial complex. We think about abolition in terms of taking down the systems that are entrapping people in carceral systems. A lot of great scholars are using liberation and abolition frameworks to advance what\u2019s possible.<\/p>\r\n

The beauty about abolition is the creative potential and how it is so aligned to the ways we innovate. Mariame Kaba<\/a> describes abolition as an analysis of the drivers of oppression, a political vision, and a practical organizing strategy. Put simply, you\u2019re looking at the past to see what harm has been caused. You\u2019re thinking forward to the future to see what good we can create. Then you\u2019re acknowledging and repairing that harm and working toward a liberatory future.<\/p>\r\n

Our job within Mapping Justice is that organizing strategy. We say that you can use data, design, and technology to document that past and reimagine your future. Let\u2019s put it on a map. Let\u2019s really engage and start to problem-solve in real time.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Q: What does the grant from the National Geographic Society and becoming a NatGeo Explorer mean to you?<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n

Okafor:<\/strong> Nat Geo was a key part of my childhood, giving me a window to explore stories of the world. With this funding, I\u2019m honored to be bringing the power of geospatial storytelling\u2014backed by liberatory innovation\u2014to Saint Louis, the community that first shaped my own views of good trouble.<\/p>\r\n \r\n

Learn more about governments, nonprofit organizations, and businesses apply GIS to advance racial equity; social justice; and sustainable, inclusive development<\/a>.<\/p>"}],"references":null},"yoast_head":"\nMapping Guides Culturally Responsive STEM Education<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"GIS data and visualization underpin student coursework that explores the concepts of abolition and liberation to address societal challenges.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/blog\/mapping-guides-culturally-responsive-stem-education\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Mapping Guides Culturally Responsive STEM Education\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"GIS data and visualization underpin student coursework that explores the concepts of abolition and liberation to address societal challenges.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/blog\/mapping-guides-culturally-responsive-stem-education\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Esri\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/esrigis\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-02-15T15:53:52+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/app\/uploads\/2024\/01\/FGCU-students-climate-change_826.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Esri\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n\t \"@graph\": [\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/blog\/mapping-guides-culturally-responsive-stem-education\",\n\t \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/blog\/mapping-guides-culturally-responsive-stem-education\",\n\t \"name\": \"Mapping Guides Culturally Responsive STEM Education\",\n\t \"isPartOf\": {\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/#website\"\n\t },\n\t \"datePublished\": \"2024-02-15T14:38:17+00:00\",\n\t \"dateModified\": \"2024-02-15T15:53:52+00:00\",\n\t \"description\": \"GIS data and visualization underpin student coursework that explores the concepts of abolition and liberation to address societal challenges.\",\n\t \"breadcrumb\": {\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/blog\/mapping-guides-culturally-responsive-stem-education#breadcrumb\"\n\t },\n\t \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t \"potentialAction\": [\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"ReadAction\",\n\t \"target\": [\n\t \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/blog\/mapping-guides-culturally-responsive-stem-education\"\n\t ]\n\t }\n\t ]\n\t },\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/blog\/mapping-guides-culturally-responsive-stem-education#breadcrumb\",\n\t \"itemListElement\": [\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t \"position\": 1,\n\t \"name\": \"Home\",\n\t \"item\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\"\n\t },\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t \"position\": 2,\n\t \"name\": \"Mapping Guides Culturally Responsive STEM Education\"\n\t }\n\t ]\n\t },\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"WebSite\",\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/#website\",\n\t \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/\",\n\t \"name\": \"Esri\",\n\t \"description\": \"Esri Newsroom\",\n\t \"potentialAction\": [\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"SearchAction\",\n\t \"target\": {\n\t \"@type\": \"EntryPoint\",\n\t \"urlTemplate\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/?s={search_term_string}\"\n\t },\n\t \"query-input\": {\n\t \"@type\": \"PropertyValueSpecification\",\n\t \"valueRequired\": true,\n\t \"valueName\": \"search_term_string\"\n\t }\n\t }\n\t ],\n\t \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\"\n\t },\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/#\/schema\/person\/8ad23580b2658589de4ea5107d75cb52\",\n\t \"name\": \"Matt Ball\",\n\t \"image\": {\n\t \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\n\t \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/app\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Author-photo-2024-768x768.jpg\",\n\t \"contentUrl\": \"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/app\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Author-photo-2024-768x768.jpg\",\n\t \"caption\": \"Matt Ball\"\n\t },\n\t \"description\": \"Matt Ball is the editor of the Esri Blog and writes about applications of geospatial technology for all its departments. 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