2009 News Archive 

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Students explore city's geographic information system

River Trail Middle School students got a bird's eye view of the City of Johns Creek's Geographic Information System, Nov. 19, during GIS Day, an international educational event designed to showcase the technology created by joining map-making with computer databases.

City GIS analysts Collin Horace and Trevor Allen demonstrated to the sixth-grade students of River Trail's Earth Science teacher Andrea Paradise how they gather topographical information, analyze it from different perspectives and turn it into useful maps and data that ultimately help the whole community.

City of Johns Creek GIS analysts Collin Horace, rear left, and Trevor Allen, rear center, visit River Trail Middle School teacher Andrea Paradise and students on GIS Day 2009.

"For example, our GIS system can help emergency planners calculate response times in the event of a natural disaster, or help our community development department find wetlands that need protection from pollution," said Horace, who's worked with the system provided to the City by its private partner, CH2M Hill, since 2006.

Added Allen, "We think what we do is pretty exciting and that we make an important contribution to the city. It would be great to inspire some of these young people to work in GIS one day."

As GIS Day was happening at River Trail, more than 10,000 other GIS professionals in 80 countries were holding similar demonstrations to students, businesses and community groups during the 10th annual event.

Sponsors of GIS Day include the National Geographic Society, the Library of Congress, Sun Microsystems and ERSI (Environmental Systems Research Institute).