As part of the Department of Geography and Sustainability at UTK GIST curriculum, we offer an elective 400-level course titled GIS in the Community. This is a community engaged learning course in which students are exposed to challenges facing local community organizations. They then work collaboratively with the organizations, using their expertise and drawing on their collective understanding of interdisciplinary perspectives to plan, develop and implement a GIS project that satisfies the needs of a community organization. Our students have had the opportunity to collaborate with a variety of state and local agencies, as well as with non-profit organizations and research groups. This presentation will aim to explain the importance of community engaged learning as part of the educational experience of any student and how GIS software and products assist to achieve meaningful connections with local community organizations.
All Grade Levels | Community Engaged Learning| GIS
Dolores
Mayra Román-Rivera is a coastal geomorphologist specializing in post-storm recovery and remote sensing and GIS applications of coastal environments. Her research focuses on understanding changes that occur in the coast over time (i.e. erosion, accretion, sea-level rise), how they change the landscapes, how they affect communities and people, and how, if possible, can those changes be mitigated. She also participates in community outreach and citizen science programs. She believes it is our responsibility as scientists to take what we have learned through research to the communities and help them become more resilient and better prepared to face changes happening in their communities. As part of that interest, She works in the incorporation of community-engaged learning in the courses she teaches.
