Fun with GIS 294: Special Achievement in GIS
Before Covid, every Esri Users Conference included a segment honoring a select group of organizations (never individuals), from across USA and around the world, nominated by Esri staff, and selected by Esri President Jack Dangermond, for "Special Achievement in GIS."
The 2021 SAG Awardee in K12 Education is the Bigfork (Montana) High School Cave Club. Their story has been written up, deservedly, in this blog (FWG253: Teaching Underground; FWG287: Headlamps; FWG288: A Generalist), and in the description of their work among the community of 2021 SAG awardees. But for a more complete picture, visit the club's own presentation of their work.
In 2010 and again in 2020, this tiny club in a tiny town in a great big state, working underground and in the classroom, earned the President's Environmental Youth Award for their activities, and GIS has been crucial for documenting disparate elements, analyzing the data, and especially sharing their findings.
"Special Achievement in GIS" cannot be earned "solo," though groups often have a single person leading or navigating. There are many versions of the expression "To go fast, go alone; to go far, go together" … but they epitomize SAG awardees: collaborators who share a vision and share the work, and compound their impact.
Not everyone can solve cosmic mysteries, invent new medical techniques, or launch a global enterprise. But in this increasingly threatened world, everyone can identify local challenges that deserve attention, and grow an ongoing collaborative force that engages GIS to achieve a larger mission: building a more sustainable world.