Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a computer-based tool for making maps and organizing, managing, and analyzing spatial data in those maps. 

Annual funding (2020-2021) from  AmericaView  allowed IowaView staff to survey Iowa public school K-12 superintendents and teachers to understand how GIS and remote sensing were being used in K-12 school districts and classrooms in Iowa. The surveys also provided starting point for outreach and a way to assess if there is a need to improve knowlegde and access to available resources such as Esri’s free educational licensing and educational materials as a way to build a foundation of GIS education throughout the state.

• Multiple interventions were identified to reduce barriers to adopting GIS including help signing up for a school account, software training, and lesson plans/insertion points to the curriculum.

• “I am completely unfamiliar with this topic.” • ”I do not have any idea what this program is, so it is hard for me to say if I would use it or not. How can it be used in the ELA classroom?” • “I'm excited to learn about GIS and how I can use it in my classroom! ” • “Please send more info about this topic.”• • “I would love learning more about it.” • “I had never heard of it and I'm a social studies teacher.  Most years (non-pandemic) the Iowa Historical Society has a two-day teacher workshop, it may not be a bad idea to have something there.”

• Eight teachers specified that they had learned about GIS through a continuing education workshop while seven began using GIS through self discovery. One teacher learned about GIS through the county GIS coodinator, another teacher had learned about it during their college education, and another through an informative email.