ArcWatch: GIS News, Views, and Insights
June 2012
Help Envision the Future of GIS Education
Attend the 12th Annual Esri Education GIS Conference
David DiBiase, Esri's director of education, wants educators and administrators to attend this year's conference so they can see the game-changing advances in geospatial technology.
With game-changing advances in cloud computing, mobile technologies, access to authoritative data, and Esri's ArcGIS 10.1, "this is not the year to miss the Esri Education GIS Conference," says David DiBiase, director of education at Esri, inviting both educators and administrators to attend.
The 12th annual conference will focus on how GIS technology is used throughout the entire campus for instruction, research, and wide-ranging administrative tasks.
As the world's largest event for GIS in education, the conference offers user presentations and hands-on workshops that provide unique learning and networking opportunities that can help you and your institution maximize your GIS investment. This year the event will be held July 21–24, 2012, at both the San Diego Marriott Marquis & Marina and the San Diego Convention Center.
The program will begin at the Marriott on July 21 with 90-minute facilitated "community conversations," in which Esri education managers, representatives from the education community, and audience members will discuss various initiatives such as the new partnership between Esri and the GIS education community to meet the changing needs of educators and students.
Following the plenary, people can attend paper sessions, interest group meetings, hands-on workshops for both beginners and experts, and demonstrations and presentations at the Education EXPO. On July 23, the program will move next door to the San Diego Convention Center for the Plenary Session presentations at the Esri UC and the Academic Program Fair, during which attendees will be able to meet with representatives from colleges and universities to discuss their academic GIS programs and educational offerings. Additional educational papers will be presented on July 24 at the convention center.
The conference is a great place to network with your peers.
The conference will provide opportunities to
- Join thought leaders in education and talk about the skills that the next generation of GIS professionals will need.
- Learn about the most substantial upgrade to education site licenses in the 20-year history of the Esri Education Program.
- Visit the Education EXPO for demonstrations of new products, including ArcGIS Online, Esri Community Analyst, and Esri CityEngine.
- Learn what cloud GIS means to your institution and your students.
- Improve your GIS skills through free, hands-on training.
- Learn how GIS improves facilities management, safety, and operations to save money and increase efficiency.
- Meet one-on-one with Esri Education Program staff to discuss your specific interests and challenges.
- Find new educational resources, including lessons, books, and online courses.
- Learn about Esri's new global initiatives in GIS education and how you can participate.
- Get advice about how to design a successful GIS degree or certificate program for your institution.
- Learn how GIS is advancing spatial and computational thinking to enhance science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and career development for all learners.
- Attend the first two days of the Esri International User Conference at no extra cost because it's included in the Esri Education GIS Conference registration.
"This is my GIS in education thinkfest!" said Barbaree Duke, a K–12 educator and consultant. "Having been to every one since 2001, I find the intersection of ideas reenergizing. Each year, there is something new to learn from students who share their projects; educators who think outside the box; or the friendly Esri staff and business professionals who will stop what they're doing to chat. It's a unique opportunity to share ideas, get feedback, and empower new users without having to explain what GIS is. If you're using GIS in education in any way or are planning to use GIS, this is the event not to miss!"
Register today for the Esri Education GIS Conference.
