[Geo4All] Geography Awareness Week

[Suchith Anand]

Dear colleagues,


Geography Awareness Week is an annual celebration of geography and the important role it plays in our lives. Geography Awareness Week is  an opportunity to bring attention to the need for educational policies that will increase geographic literacy for everyone.


Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are important tools that have the potential to greatly improve  geographic literacy for everyone.   Geographic Information Science is an important contributor to the advancement of human knowledge, as well to solving so many societal challenges. Though there has been huge advances in Geographic Information Science and Systems over the the last few decades, the benefits of Geospatial education and entrepreneurship opportunities were very limited for economically poor students and communities.


GIS was an expensive technology and hence many economically poor students and communities did not have access to this for many decades.  This has now changed . The last decade has seen a rapid growth in open source geospatial software , open data and open education developments which has now made geospatial software and education opportunities available to all. Open principles in education (open educational resources, free and open software, open data, open standards etc) are  a big enabler for  making geographic literacy, geoeducation and entrepreneurship opportunities accessible to all [1],[2].


Thanks to all our amazing colleagues globally, we have now truly made GIS education opportunities open to all.


During Geography Awareness Week events , please share our resources with all https://www.osgeo.org/foundation-news/please-share-geoforall-teaching-research-resources-colleagues-students/



We look forward to working and building collaborations with all interested in this education mission. Access to quality education and opportunities is key for getting rid of extreme poverty and enabling broadly shared prosperity for all. Please support Open Principles in Science and Education for building a better world for everyone.



The Future of Geo is Open for Everyone...



Best wishes,



Suchith




[1] https://www.rd-alliance.org/group/geospatial-ig/post/please-share-open-principles-science-and-education-ideas-and-philosophy

[2]  https://blog.scielo.org/en/2018/07/13/geo-for-all-open-principles-in-geoeducation-and-science/





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