GIS Day Expo Returns to UWI on November 16

The annual GIS Day Expo returns to its home base at the University of the West Indies (UWI) this year, with an array of activities to engage attendees and participants.

The 20th staging of the National Spatial Data Management Branch (NSDMB) and Land Information Council of Jamaica (LICJ) event, will take place on November 16 at the Assembly Hall on the Mona campus.

Activities were held virtually over the last two years due to constraints caused by COVID-19 pandemic.

GIS Day, which is being observed locally under the theme: ‘Geospatial Technologies: Mapping Our Way to Economic Growth and Recovery’ will commence at 8:30 a.m. and will target students from schools across the island.

“We will be inviting secondary schools…and also tertiary institutions that have geospatial-related programme areas or would want to commence offering geospatial-related programmes to join us at this event,” said Acting Principal Director of the NSDMB, Simone Lloyd, during a recent Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Think Tank.

“A major focus of GIS Day is exposing students, teachers and the wider public to what geospatial technologies and GIS is all about and the various tools and applications available. We will have a series of competitions and activities geared towards the schools to build geospatial skills and knowledge, in terms of how to utilise the various forms of technologies and how to [promote] healthy competition,” Ms. Lloyd added.

These activities include geo-talks, treasure hunt, jingle, essay and poster competitions, a GIS Bee competition and a fashion show, all incorporating GIS and various forms of geospatial technologies and skills.

Ms. Lloyd noted that partner organisations have also been factored into the day’s activities.

“A highlight of the day is that we will be having a best booth competition. Various organisations, whether they be public sector, private sector or academia, will be mounting booths and showcasing how they have been utilising geospatial information and technologies to execute their mandate.

“This is through research, the development of GIS-based apps, mapping the location of various resources toward being able to plan efficiently and more effectively,” she said.

Additionally, institutions that use geospatial technologies in their daily functions will, for the first time, face-off in a live map competition.

“On the day, they will be using their laptops and given specific data sets, a case scenario and they are required to develop a map live on the day. We want the students to see GIS at work, and see geospatial experts use what they have available to create something significant that can then be used to drive decision-making,” explained Ms. Lloyd.

Prizes for the various competitions are being sponsored by geospatial companies Spatial Innovision Limited, Tcarta and Realdecoy.

At the close of day, it is expected that students will leave with a better understanding of geospatial technologies and how to develop their capacities through secondary and tertiary geospatial programmes, along with knowledge of the paths to career options.

GIS Day has been held since 2002.