A geographic information system (GIS) is a system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present all types of geographical data. The U-M GIS Community of Practice is hosting a number of GIS talks and workshops in honor of GIS Day (these events take place on Tuesday, while GIS Day is technically on Wednesday).

Joining us to lead the activities, and to share their wisdom from many years of teaching and discussing GIS in higher-education are:
* Joseph Kerski, Esri Education Manager and all-around GIS evangelist.
* Geri Miller, Esri Solution Engineer and Associate Program Director for the John Hopkins University Geographic Information Systems programs.

9:00am-9:50am, Clark Library
Story Maps and the Digital Humanities
with Joseph Kerski
Story Maps enable you to use the power of maps to tell your story in an engaging and inspiring way. Presentation and hands-on activities will explore how Story Maps are used in teaching and research, with an emphasis on Digital Humanities and Digital Scholarship. (Bring your laptop to participate in the hands-on activities!)

10:00am-10:50am, Clark Library
5-5-5: Five converging forces catapulting geography to the world stage, 5 Trends in Geospatial Technology, and the 5 Key Skills Important in Your Career
with Joseph Kerski
A lively discussion filled with demonstrations of live web mapping tools focused on forces, tools, and skills, such as geo-awareness, storytelling, citizen science, curiosity, 3D GIS, and others that are increasingly relevant to the 21st Century and which affect our everyday lives. (A great introduction to the world of GIS!)

11:00am-11:50am, Clark Library
The Power of ArcGIS Online
with Joseph Kerski and Geri Miller
Learn how the web-based ArcGIS Online platform is enabling teaching and research across many disciplines, with its low-barrier to entry and simple design. For example, we will explore how to Join Features to ArcGIS Online, how you can join your own data to layers in ArcGIS, and specifically, the Living Atlas of the World, an authoritative rich body of content, and thus bring that diverse content to bear on the analysis of patterns that may be inherent in your data. (Bring your laptop to participate in the hands-on activities!)

1:30pm-2:20pm, Clark Library
Survey123 Workshop
with Joseph Kerski and Geri Miller
Survey123 for ArcGIS is a simple and intuitive form-centric data gathering solution that makes creating, sharing, and analyzing surveys possible in just three easy steps: 1) ask questions, 2) get the answers, and 3) make better decisions. Come learn how to create your first Survey123 survey or to ask questions about surveys you have already developed. (Bring your laptop to participate in the hands-on activities!)

2:30pm-3:20pm, Clark Library
Bring Your Own Question - BYOQ
with Joseph Kerski, Geri Miller, and members of the U-M GIS Community of Practice
An open format question and answer session on GIS. Bring whatever questions you have about GIS, no matter how big or small, from the specific to the general, and we will do our best to answer them, or help direct you to someone how can.

3:30pm-4:20pm, Clark Library
Careers in GIS
with Joseph Kerski and Geri Miller
Specifically tailored for students, this session will discuss career paths involving GIS. Joseph and Geri will also discuss typical opportunities Esri offers, its work culture, and tips for the GIS job market.

4:30pm-6:00pm, HopCat, 311 Maynard St., Ann Arbor
Mappy Hour at HopCat for everyone!
Please join us at HopCat to socialize, network, and share and learn about GIS.