GIS Day

By Caitlyn Mitchell, GIS Day Coordinator, Esri

In keeping with a tradition started in 2007 with the song "G-I-Yes," the City of Austin, Texas, recorded a theme song to celebrate the tenth anniversary of GIS Day. This year, a songstress belted out "It's a Map of the World as We Know It (and I See Signs)." Listen to the song here or on YouTube, and soon you may be singing along.

More than 1,000 organizations hosted GIS Day celebrations around the world. Here's how a few of them publicized the benefits of using GIS:

• In Johannesburg, South Africa, Corporate Geo-Informatics (CGIS) used GIS Day as a tool for creating GIS awareness and marketing the products and services provided by CGIS. The City of Johannesburg, for example, uses GIS as part of its land information system. Read more and view photos.
• The City of Loveland, Colorado, carried on its tradition of hosting a GIS Day open house. The event provided the perfect opportunity to rollout the city's new Esri ArcGIS Server software-based Web site to more than 100 attendees. The Thompson School District also demonstrated how GIS is used to assign students to schools, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service showed how the organization employs GIS to manage wildlife at Fort Collins-Loveland Municipal Airport and Denver International Airport. Read an attendee's review of the event.
• Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) in Raleigh, North Carolina, celebrated GIS Day by organizing a map gallery and open house. Staff members from WCPSS departments, along with parents and students, viewed a display of GIS techniques used for planning, demographic studies, and student assignments. Bill Shroyer, a GIS professional for the Wake County Planning Department, gave an inspirational presentation on how GIS helps address local and global issues. The day was so successful that several staff members expressed interest in receiving GIS software and training so that they could start using GIS as soon as possible. Read more.
• The Delaware County, Ohio, GIS team took a new approach to celebrating GIS Day in 2008. For years, the team had visited local schools to educate students about GIS, geography, and GIS Day. This year, the GIS staff invited participants to their facilities where an open house, map gallery, and several informational presentations and games were provided. Volunteers from Delaware Soil and Water Conservation District; Delaware General Health District; and City of Dublin, Ohio, attended and/or presented. Read more and see photos of the county's 10 years of GIS Day celebrations.
• McMaster University, Ontario, Canada, celebrated GIS Day for the tenth time in 2008. The university opened its doors to 250 high school geography students and teachers who received a hands-on look at GIS and GPS technology. Read more.

GIS Day 2009 will be Wednesday, November 18. For more information about the event or to download free materials, visit www.gisday.com.