Esri ArcNews — Students Take to GIS to Build Solutions for Their Communities

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Online Science, Technology, and Engineering Community (MOSTEC) is a free, six-month program for rising high school seniors from across the United States to get hands-on experience in science and engineering. And thanks to one former participant who is now an instructor, current MOSTEC students have the opportunity to learn GIS with a social justice slant.

“Whether or not they’re going [to work in] tech [or] business or [at] a local community organization, I think this education is needed,” said Nick Okafor, the creator of MOSTEC’s Mapping Justice: Designing Geospatial Tools for Social Change course. “I want them to be mindful of the implicit biases that are present and the role we can play in making an impact.”