I have been working to finalize our plans for our third annual Educator Day K12 all-day GIS training. It started in 2015 and is coordinated to align with the MN GIS/LIS Consortium statewide GIS professionals conference in October. When we started this in 2015 we weren't sure what would happen, how many teachers would come and whether we could get appropriate content, instructors...you know the drill! We were astounded when we had 50+ teachers in 2015 and then 75+ teachers attend in 2016. Both were in Duluth, MN, a hot bed of GIS activity.
Well this year the conference is in Bemidji, MN....Where is that? Well, it is a beautiful town in north-central Minnesota on the beautiful shores of Lake Bemidji. It is mainly known for Paul Bunyan and his faithful ox Babe....yet not many K12 instructors using GIS and a long ways from other GIS hot beds....Who doesn't like a challenge, right!! Our MN-GIS team took this on with a fervor befitting our State GIS success! We recruited existing teachers to help instruct, GIS professionals to volunteer to help in classroom sessions and the GIS/LIS Consortium to fund teacher substitutes. We are 1 WEEK out and I just emailed registered teachers information. How many you ask.....
71! (and counting)
on a Wednesday in October !!
Yes the post headline is certainly true. Develop your collaboration partners, get geomentors and GIS professionals involved and jump into the murky depths with your knees bent!
It works!
