h1

Students

Open Maps Middle School Challenge Fact Sheet

Your browser may not support display of this image. Your browser may not support display of this image.

What is it? The Open Maps Middle School Challenge (Challenge) is a new initiative that engages students in learning about their community by mapping assets (locations) on an interactive map.

Who is behind the project?

The Fund for an Open Society (OPEN) www.opensoc.org and Celebrate NJ! www.CelebrateNJ.org have teamed up to bring the project to NJ Middle Schools.  Both organizations are committed to making New Jersey communities stronger and in helping our youth become connected to the place they call home.

How will the Challenge work?

  1. OPEN and Celebrate NJ! will provide the interactive online community map, the mapping challenge guidelines and instructions for plotting assets and information on the map.
  2. Students take on the task of identifying, locating and mapping community asset information for: schools, libraries, cultural and historic buildings, government buildings, community centers, religious institutions, parks, public transportation access, downtown areas, etc., including text, photo, video and link information about each point.
  3. Teachers oversee the coordination and completion of the project.
  4. OPEN and Celebrate NJ! showcase the completed maps in local media, host a Celebrate NJ! event and making a big deal about their results!

What are the benefits of the Challenge?

Students benefit…

    • They work together and experience success as a team.
    • They learn about their community’s assets and foster an appreciation of the place they call home.
    • The mapping technology is a great learning tool, supporting the development of geo-spatial skills and distance calculation.
    • The technology also supports student research and communication skills.

Schools benefit…

    • The map becomes a point of pride because it was produced by the students of your school for the benefit of the members of the community.

Communities benefit…

    • All community members will now have a one-stop online map that helps them find everything from the library to the train station and all points in between.

When does the Challenge have to be completed?

Students have until April 30, 2009 to complete the Challenge, seeking to fill their community map with map points and related information useful to all community members.

For more information, contact:

Karen Hatcher, Executive Director, Celebrate NJ! khatcher@CelebrateNJ.org or 732-333-0462

Emilio Panasci, Fund for an Open Society, epanasci@gmail.com 973-821-4198

Leave a Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.