4-H Gains 11 Community Mapping Grants
Contact: Lisa Phelps, Extension Educator, (207) 780-4205, 800-287-1471
ORONO, Me. — The Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) has awarded 70 4-H clubs across the United States with a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software grant–and University of Maine Cooperative Extension’s 4-H Youth Development program won 11 of them.
ESRI is a geographic information system (GIS) technology development company.
The 4-H Community Mapping Program Grants for 2006 were awarded to 4-H programs in 39 states. Maine outpaced all other states, and 11 Maine communities will benefit from the efforts of their UMaine Cooperative Extension 4-H clubs. Each grant provides a club license for the ArcView software package and GIS training materials.
The 11 communities are Bath, Belfast, Bethel, Bridgton, Brunswick, Manchester, Poland, Portland, Salem, Standish and Waldo.
4-H club teams of youth and adult volunteers proposed community service projects that involve mapping of economic, social, and environmental conditions that need attention in their community.
“These grants allow for community engagement in solving local problems,” says Tom Tate, national program leader with USDA’s Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service, which helped facilitate the grant program. “Local4-H GIS/global positioning systems (GPS) teams gain the capacity to design and build comprehensive maps pinpointing critical issues in their own hometowns.” These issues can range from broken sidewalks and incorrect street signs to mapping evacuation routes for hurricane threats.
“This is a very significant accomplishment for a small, rural state,” says Fred Schlutt, Executive Director of the Maine 4-H Foundation. “Maine is being recognized as a Cooperative Extension and 4-H leader in technology.”
The 4-H GIS/GPS technology teams will work with local town and county officials to help identify key issues facing their communities. Once the maps are designed, they will be presented to town and county officials and the public to help these citizens make informed decisions about the key issues facing their communities.
In addition to the community mapping project, grant winners are also required to make at least one presentation to other 4-H clubs, youth and leaders and share project and community information in an online community atlas. They are also required to participate in GIS Day 2006 by hosting an informational event for local youth, community leaders and the public.
Since 1913, 4-H has set the standard in youth development, helping Maine’s young people acquire the knowledge, life skills, leadership abilities, and attitudes necessary for lifetime success. Young people can become involved in 4-H through school enrichment programs, 4-H camps, and county UMaine Cooperative Extension offices.