The Road to GeoBus

Imagine the excitement when a 40 foot retrofitted city bus with a solar-powered learning lab rolls into a school or community center or event to inspire science's next generation in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM). That's what we built, and this is our story.

The nation's 1st GeoBus at  University of Central Florida  in Orlando, Florida (USA) is a mobile laboratory focused on maps, apps, and drones that visits Florida K-12 schools, community centers, and events.

Want to experience the opening leg of the GeoBus Tour in 2022? The only way to request a GeoBus tour stop is to add to the map below. Add a school/community center/event below and fill in the short Survey123 mapping form to be considered for scheduling.

We will be selecting our first 10 stops and beyond on the tour based on the map stories shared below. In your map entry, be creative, be bold, and be ready to drive science's next generation with GeoBus at your school, community center, or event.

But first, I want to tell you a story. I want to take you back on our Road to GeoBus. And I want to tell you why we built what we built. Mile Marker 0 of GeoBus begins here.

Mile Marker 0 on The Road to GeoBus: 2.21.2022

Science is about people. Everyday, extraordinary people. If you know me, you’ve heard me say this on repeat for years with a big smile and with big hopes for science’s future. GeoBus might be filled with incredible technologies that answer big questions in science, but sometimes that’s all people see. I ask you now as we are about to launch this national network with our first GeoBus here in Orlando, Florida, to look past the technology. Look past the solar panels, past the drones, past the virtual reality headsets, past the augmented reality sandbox, past the mapping applications, past the interactive geovisualization wall.

If you look closely, you’ll see something more. And you’ll realize it was right in front of you the entire time.

It’s what we saw back in October 2017 in a packed country club ballroom in Tuskawilla Springs, Florida where I gave a community talk on behalf of our Citizen Science GIS at UCF team. That night I announced with no bus, no plan, no money and no partners that we would build the nation’s first GeoBus.

It’s what we saw the second we first saw Bus 556…a 2005 baby blue, retired city bus that was about to be sent to auction and was donated to us by Lynx bus company.

It's what we saw as we shared our vision with geospatial technology industry leaders over the years who encouraged us and asked important questions to move our work forward in ways we hadn't considered.

It’s what we saw when Joshua Sweet, our graphics designer, created an exterior design that would bring our vision to life. And then, it's what we saw when  Lynx  said they would paint, donate, print, and install all of the graphics on the outside of that blue bus at no cost to us.

It’s what we saw as solar visionary, Lisa Pearcy, and her solar crew at  15lightyears  put the first set of solar panels on our roof to power our learning lab with renewable energy at no cost to us right before the pandemic changed our world.

It’s what we saw when we hadn’t been to the bus in nearly 18 months while it sat collecting cobwebs, a damaged engine, and a leaky fuel line in an abandoned Central Florida warehouse during COVID-19. That day, the Lynx maintenance crew led by our greatest GeoBus driver of change, Mark, came to that warehouse and helped us fix the bus.

It’s what we saw on those early humid 6 am Saturday mornings and hot 90 degree Florida fall days as our Citizen Science GIS at UCF team painted the floors and walls and installed tables dreaming of what was next.

It’s what we saw when 15lightyears and their solar suppliers (QCells and CED Greentech) drove up with a pallet full of batteries, inverters, and electrical parts to construct a solar wall that would power our lab. And then it's what we saw when the 15lightyears crew came back to create a solar wall in the most creative manner possible to power our bus. There were no blueprints for this kind of creativity from the 15lightyears team.

It’s what we saw when Keith and Logan from Traveling RV Technicians came in and installed our air conditioners, our tables, and our mounts, and our retractable awning. How many people mount a sandbox in a bus or RV, I asked them? They didn’t blink at this creative opportunity to support local youth.

It’s what I saw in our Citizen Science GIS team when I told them National Geographic would be supporting our work, our vision, and the youth scientists across the GeoBus network for our first year with a major grant and the  2022 National Geographic Explorer status . That news reminded me of all the amazing energy encouraging us back in October 2018 when I shared our team's vision on the National Geographic big stage in Washington DC.

But from all those moments along our road, what exactly was it that we saw? Like I said, it was right there in plain sight the entire time.

It was people. We saw everyday, extraordinary people.

And now more than ever as we are about to launch an ambitious national GeoBus network, we still see these people and even more people helping us to share connections and build networks for our youth GeoBus scientists. From here on out we are calling them GeoBus Drivers of Change.

We and our partners see a learning environment where our youth scientists can be all aboard, and all in for STEAM (Science-Technology-Engineering-Arts-Math). GeoBus provides an immersive and energizing mobile learning experience that levels the playing field in STEAM. One where technologies can be shared with students, but more importantly one where youth scientists can become part of a supportive environment and network where they can contribute right now to science.

We hope that our youth scientists see they can be all aboard, and all in for STEAM.

To us, "all in and all aboard in STEAM" means that when any youth scientist steps onto GeoBus, they will be:

• supported by our team, their classmates, their teachers, and our industry partners;
• trusted to contribute data and analyses to our global mapping partnerships;
• encouraged to dream of science’s possibilities and explore the world;
• asked to pay it forward & share knowledge with 1 person after a GeoBus stop;
• made to feel part of a network that strengthens their connections in STEAM.

Our GeoBus Drivers of Change helped bring this project to life over several years of planning, design, and construction. The road was long, winding, and filled with ups and downs. And now we’re ready for the next leg of the GeoBus journey.

On February 26, 2022: we welcome aboard our first youth scientists with our amazing partners.

Over the next year, our team and I welcome you to join us on what we are calling the “Road to GeoBus.” The Road includes this monthly story map and blog series where I will share my thoughts as a National Geographic Explorer. We’ll also share stories about the Road to GeoBus, while opening up spaces to amplify the voices of others who have made this journey possible.

The Road will have a little bit of everything, but most importantly it will serve as a space to celebrate the people of GeoBus…everyday…extraordinary…people.

You, reading this right now, are now one of those people. You are a GeoBus Driver of Change. Your positive words are especially needed and inspiring to our youth scientists. Soon we’ll share several ways in which you can become involved in our work, in person or virtually with your time, talents, and treasures.

For now, we’ll leave you with this question to share in the comments and to share across social media using #GeoBusUCF, #RoadtoGeoBus and #CitizenScienceGIS. Tell us in one sentence, what do you hope the thousands of GeoBus youth scientists will see when they see their future in science? That one sentence, from you, could be the difference for any one of the youth scientists about to start on their Road to GeoBus.

Thank you for all you do to drive science’s next generation. And thank you for joining us as a Driver of Change on The Road to GeoBus.

If you didn't already add to the Road to GeoBus map above, and want to nominate a Florida school, community center, or organization for a GeoBus Tour stop, please add to our Road to GeoBus Tour request map at:  https://arcg.is/P5qbf.  And please share this link with friends so they can also request a GeoBus Tour stop.

To become a GeoBus Driver of Change with a $25 or more financial contribution to the Citizen Science GIS & GeoBus fund through the UCF Foundation to directly fund school visits, please visit:  https://foundation.ucf.edu/givetocos?id=c7b7c445-462e-44ff-86c5-6e43b2d0433d 

The Road to GeoBus is curated by Dr. Timothy L. Hawthorne, a 2022 National Geographic Explorer, associate professor of geographic information systems at UCF, proud husband, and father to three amazing youth scientists. Tim was born an explorer moving across the USA with significant stops in PA, CA, WV, OH, GA, and FL. Tim didn't have a significant international learning experience outside of the USA until his first year as a professor in 2011, which motivates him to share an explorer mindset with science's next generation. In his spare time, Tim is an avid traveler, snorkeler, runner, biker, and Lego builder. If you’d like to have Tim share an intentionally positive and optimistic message about science and society at your next event, please contact our team directly at  geobus@ucf.edu .

Learn more about GeoBus, Citizen Science GIS, our team, and Dr. Hawthorne at:  www.citizensciencegis.org .