With only 15 weeks to go, GIS Day 2006 is quickly approaching. Every year, GIS users join together in a grassroots effort to show the public how GIS is used in their communities every day.
Their events include lectures, software demonstrations, map galleries, games, and more. Last year, more than 70 countries participated in GIS Day.
GIS Day involvement is an ideal way to build geography awareness in each local community. Although the annual celebration occurs each November, every day new materials are being added to the www.gisday.com web site.
About GIS Day
GIS Day is a grassroots event that formalizes the practice of geographic information systems (GIS) users and vendors of opening their doors to schools, businesses, and the general public to showcase real-world applications of this important technology.
The event is principally sponsored by the National Geographic Society, the Association of American Geographers, University Consortium for Geographic Information Science, the United States Geological Survey, The Library of Congress, Sun Microsystems, Hewlett–Packard, and ESRI. GIS Day 2006 will be held on Nov. 15, 2006.
GIS Day is part of the National Geographic Society’s new initiative, Geography Action, which is a year-long initiative encompassing key educational achievements such as GIS Day and Geography Awareness Week. Each year this initiative will have a different focus. The theme for 2005-2006 is "Migration: The Human Journey."
In addition to events such as GIS Day and Geography Awareness Week, there will also be many worldwide activities supporting geography action, with their goal being to engage people in learning and caring about geography.
The National Geographic Society has sponsored Geography Awareness Week since 1987 to promote geographic literacy in schools, communities, and organizations, with a focus on the education of children. GIS Day is held on the Wednesday during Geography Awareness Week. GIS Day 2006 will be held on Nov. 15, 2006.
In 2005, hundreds of organizations hosted GIS Day events in countries all around the world. Be sure to read about some of them on the Success Stories page. Through the combined efforts of GIS Day participants, millions of children and adults were educated on GIS technology through geography.
GIS users and vendors are invited to join the National Geographic Society, the Association of American Geographers, the University Consortium for Geographic Information Science, the United States Geological Survey, The Library of Congress, Sun Microsystems, Hewlett–Packard, and ESRI in opening their doors for GIS Day.