Latest Contributions by WilliamTarpai

@JesseCloutier  Excellent and very helpful post.   Not really a solution for me, but a great response.  GIS pros in Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia,  (but not to exclude remaining countries on the much in logistical and support need), were whom I was hoping to encourage to reply.    As we have seen at ESRI UC 2026, there were an incredible list of participants doing amazing things in all the far corners of our world today.     ... View more

@Jennifer_Parker   Thanks for posting about the Maps to Megawatts platform, and how GIS for Good is achieving a better world for more people.   @GeoffWade and @MattPiper paper on how important GIS was delivering America's Largest Wind Project was equally noteworthy. As a retiree, I'm always interested in learning about potential investments, especially in renewable energy. Do you happen to know how many students in US as well as globally,  which universities are doing research on relevant topics?   ... View more

  @Jason_Sawle Yet another great post!  Thank you...MapMaker is certainly a way to involve youth voices....    It has been wonderful to see how GIS colleagues are responding to GIS for GOOD.  https://www.esri.com/about/newsroom/arcnews/gis-for-good-esri-commitment-to-people-planet-prosperity-peace Clearly bringing together those maps to help out mapping and analyzing communities that have fallen behind and where children and families are vulnerable to falling even farther behind is important.   During ESRI User Conference, it was great to touch bases with GIS pros in Ukraine, Kenya, Zimbabwe and a few other countries that are commited to addressing the “…persistent inequalities, accelerating technological and environmental change, and growing interdependencies’, and looked at how higher education might move from commitments to actions. https://sdgs.un.org/sites/default/files/2026-06/2026%20HESI%20Global%20Forum.pdf (see https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000398121 v.  Dig down into SDGs SDGs 6, 7, 9, 11 and 17, as well as the cross-cutting role of SDG 4.7 on education for sustainable development.) ... View more

@BaratKhan  great work and really helpful.  Several points....a) Do you know anyone at the University of California Riverside?  I recall how the UC extension services have been working with farmers (academic research as well as addressing specific needs and challenges of private sector related to water, salinity and overall production).  The University of California GIS week is happening soon, and you might find be able to find a current student or professor to collaborate.  b) Is it possible to determine which of the schools you have identified already have computer labs that run ESRI software and tools, or ESRI-National Geographic MAPMAKER software? ... View more

@EzraCheruiyot I posted a question and almost immediate AI response from MapMaker today = Is possible to have 2 maps, side by side, one with the SE US, and the other displaying NW Kenya? ----Bot V said: Great question! MapMaker doesn’t currently have a built-in feature to display two separate maps of different regions side by side in the same window. However, here are some practical workarounds you can use: 🗺️ Option 1: Two Browser Windows/Tabs (Recommended) Open MapMaker in two separate browser windows, placing them side by side on your screen: Open MapMaker and navigate to the SE United States in one window. Open a second MapMaker window and navigate to NW Kenya. Resize and snap the windows to fill half your screen each. This gives you a true side-by-side view and works well for classroom display on a projector. 🔀 Option 2: Swipe Tool (Same Map, Two Layers) MapMaker includes a swipe tool that lets students compare two layers side by side by dragging a divider across the map. Access it from the layer options when a layer is selected. However, this works for comparing two layers on the same map view — not two different geographic regions — so it’s better suited for before/after or overlay comparisons. :camera_with_flash: Option 3: Screenshots for Printed/Slide Comparisons You can export the current map view as a PDF, JPG, or PNG file using Save → Screenshot, with the option to include the legend. Take a screenshot of each region and place them side by side in a slide or document — great for student worksheets or presentations. 📍 Option 4: Bookmarks Within One Map Some MapMaker Atlas maps include pre-set bookmarks — saved views that zoom directly to specific regions or features. Students can click a bookmark to jump instantly to that view. While not truly simultaneous, you could set up bookmarks for both regions so students can quickly toggle between them. The two-browser-window approach is the most seamless option for displaying both regions at the same time. Would you like help finding maps or layers relevant to the SE United States or NW Kenya for your lesson? ------I really appreciate working with A.I because of the question it stuck in at the end of his answer......I would definitely like help finding maps and layers of education relevant to Kenya. ... View more

thanks @Jason_Sawle   Really amazing how MapMaker can help young people and their teachers to celebrate America at 250 years!!!   @EzraCheruiyot  Students being able to share maps, then edit and ahre exiting activities happening in their towns, cities, states and countrys will create incredible learning opportunities.  I wonder how students in our countries might be able to do split screen research to compare and contrast develops across borders.....? ... View more

@DawnWright   It would be great to be able introduce you to students and professors using GIS software and tools on California State University San Bernardino campus?   Is it posslbe to arrange? ... View more

It would be wonderful if someone in the know at ESRI would summarize the differences between the US and Global agreements.   ... View more

@BaratKhan    Wow, thanks for posting and the questions.  There are tons of how to videos as well as GIS for GOOD members who will be able to help out I'm sure.  Having traveled in Balochistan, I'm very much reminded of the desert regions to the east of San Diego (perhaps extending all the way to Texas panhandle.  It would be great if you could add a layer pinpointing all the schools, perhaps noting which has running water, sanitation and stable access to electricity.   Can't wait to learn about your successes helping to green your region.   ... View more

WOW. @EzraCheruiyot I have spent more than 3 hours going through MAPMAKER How To videos and can't wait to introduce teachers and students to the resources that are available to help promote learning.....    Imagine how many African student we might be able to introduce this incredible software to.   Let's count the schools and students in Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South Africa, Rwanda, Somalia, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.....   Ready, set, go ... View more

@Gletham   Thanks for posting.  You have provide a great summary of the facts.  I spent lots of time focusing on how to integrate private sector engagements with government actions, especially it relates to 1) the ESRI - Microsoft collaborations; and 2) the ESRI - Nartional Geographic collaborations.   "GIS—Creating a More Intelligent World" was really well addressed and a great theme for UC2026 ... View more

@Jason_Sawle    Thanks for posting about Map Maker.  WONDERFUL work....   Any idea how to get 'software bundles' delivered to more schools where the SDG rankings (achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals - SDGs) are below 100 (out of 192 countries in the UN system)?    ... View more