Happy GIS Day!

Simply put, geographic information systems technology (GIS) is a way to gather and study data in a collaborative manner. It is used in the workplace, in classrooms, in government, by utility services and by many others. According to the website gisday.com, National GIS Day was established in 1999 to provide “an international forum for users of GIS technology to demonstrate real-world applications that are making a difference in our society.”

A study by the United States Census Bureau shows that there are 7,645 surveying or mapping businesses in the country that employ over 47,000 people. The industry accounts for around $2.7 billion in payroll annually.

GIS Day falls in the middle of Geography Awareness Week, which is always the third week in November. This designation was founded by National Geographic, and made official by a presidential proclamation in 1987.

There are many resources online at gisday.com that include classroom activities for teachers, interactive maps, fact sheets and videos.

Sources: gisday.com, U.S. Census Bureau