The NEARC Community Events are designed to keep the community connected between the Spring and Fall conferences. Events come in a variety of different formats and themes, including informal Mappy Hours, Hands-on Workshops, Presentations, Discussions and more!
Do you have a topic that you’d like to see at a NEARC Communality Event? Do you have a presentation or workshop you’d like to host? We’d love to hear from you and we are always looking for volunteers and great ideas. Please email us at nearcbod@gmail.com
Do you have a topic that you’d like to see at a NEARC Communality Event? Do you have a presentation or workshop you’d like to host? We’d love to hear from you and we are always looking for volunteers and great ideas. Please email us at nearcbod@gmail.com
Past Events
Desktop to Online - The Shift in Higher Education
Wednesday, April 20th, 12:00-1:30pm
Within the field of GIS, there has been and continues to be a shift towards interactive web mapping. Desktop software still plays a critical role, but so much work can now be done using a tool such as ArcGIS Online. For this workshop, Brian Baldwin from Esri will be joining Katie Grillo as they put on their Adjunct Professor hats and lead the NEARC Community in discussion centered around the shift in higher education from teaching ArcGIS desktop software to moving more online. Together we will acknowledge some of the challenges and explore potential solutions we can implement. This conversation will be geared towards those in higher education, but all are welcome to attend.
Event Resources
Event Recording: Desktop to Online
Modern GIS Landing Page: esri.com/industries/higher-education/roles/educators/modern-gis
Learning Guide: Higher_Ed_Guide_Esri_ELearning.pdf
Join us for Spring NEARC at Westfield State University on Monday, May 16th
Make plans to attend Fall NEARC's GIS Educators Day on Sunday, November 6th: northeastarc.org/gis-ed-day
Within the field of GIS, there has been and continues to be a shift towards interactive web mapping. Desktop software still plays a critical role, but so much work can now be done using a tool such as ArcGIS Online. For this workshop, Brian Baldwin from Esri will be joining Katie Grillo as they put on their Adjunct Professor hats and lead the NEARC Community in discussion centered around the shift in higher education from teaching ArcGIS desktop software to moving more online. Together we will acknowledge some of the challenges and explore potential solutions we can implement. This conversation will be geared towards those in higher education, but all are welcome to attend.
Event Resources
Event Recording: Desktop to Online
Modern GIS Landing Page: esri.com/industries/higher-education/roles/educators/modern-gis
Learning Guide: Higher_Ed_Guide_Esri_ELearning.pdf
Join us for Spring NEARC at Westfield State University on Monday, May 16th
Make plans to attend Fall NEARC's GIS Educators Day on Sunday, November 6th: northeastarc.org/gis-ed-day
ArcGIS Solutions
Wednesday, March 9th, 12:00-1:30pm
Join the Esri team to learn more about ArcGIS Solutions, a collection of focused maps and apps that help address challenges in your organization. Solutions leverage your authoritative data and are designed to improve operations, provide new insight, and enhance services in government, utility, defense, public safety, telecommunications, and commercial business. In this session we will focus on understanding how the pieces of a solution fit together by deploying the Tree Management Solution, which can be used to create an inventory of publicly owned trees, streamline inspection and maintenance activities, understand conditions, cultivate a volunteer workforce, and inform the public. The first hour of this workshop will be dedicated to learning about these tools and then we will have 30 minutes or so for Q&A, open discussion, and breakout rooms to connect with colleagues. We hope to see you there!
Event Resources
Event Recording: NEARC Event: ArcGIS Solutions
Presentation PowerPoint
ArcGIS Solutions Homepage
ArcGIS Solutions Gallery
Join the Esri team to learn more about ArcGIS Solutions, a collection of focused maps and apps that help address challenges in your organization. Solutions leverage your authoritative data and are designed to improve operations, provide new insight, and enhance services in government, utility, defense, public safety, telecommunications, and commercial business. In this session we will focus on understanding how the pieces of a solution fit together by deploying the Tree Management Solution, which can be used to create an inventory of publicly owned trees, streamline inspection and maintenance activities, understand conditions, cultivate a volunteer workforce, and inform the public. The first hour of this workshop will be dedicated to learning about these tools and then we will have 30 minutes or so for Q&A, open discussion, and breakout rooms to connect with colleagues. We hope to see you there!
Event Resources
Event Recording: NEARC Event: ArcGIS Solutions
Presentation PowerPoint
ArcGIS Solutions Homepage
ArcGIS Solutions Gallery
Preserving Significant Places of Black History
Wednesday, February 16th, 12:00-1:00pm
In honor of Black History Month, NEARC is excited to be welcoming the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission to share the Preserving Significant Places of Black History story map. During this session, we will learn more about this incredible story map, how it was dreamed into existence, and what tricks were used to create an engaging story. The second half of the event will be dedicated to a discussion of how we can each do something similar in our own local communities!
Event Resources
Event Recording: NEARC Workshop: Preserving Significant Places of Black History
Story Map: Preserving Significant Places of Black History
Additional Resources:
Discover NYC Landmarks map
Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) website
Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) story maps
In honor of Black History Month, NEARC is excited to be welcoming the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission to share the Preserving Significant Places of Black History story map. During this session, we will learn more about this incredible story map, how it was dreamed into existence, and what tricks were used to create an engaging story. The second half of the event will be dedicated to a discussion of how we can each do something similar in our own local communities!
Event Resources
Event Recording: NEARC Workshop: Preserving Significant Places of Black History
Story Map: Preserving Significant Places of Black History
Additional Resources:
Discover NYC Landmarks map
Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) website
Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) story maps
NEARC’s New Year Mappy Hour
Thursday, January 6th, 2022, 7-8:30pm
2021 is almost in the rearview mirror! Come join new and old NEARC friends and colleagues for an informal Mappy Hour event to reflect on the past year and look forward to the next. There will be breakout rooms with a variety of New Year topics and themes. Do you have GIS resolutions? What are you excited about for 2022? Come get inspired, swap stories, or just relax and catch up.
2021 is almost in the rearview mirror! Come join new and old NEARC friends and colleagues for an informal Mappy Hour event to reflect on the past year and look forward to the next. There will be breakout rooms with a variety of New Year topics and themes. Do you have GIS resolutions? What are you excited about for 2022? Come get inspired, swap stories, or just relax and catch up.
Data Management on ArcGIS Online
Wednesday, December 8th, 12 - 1:00pm
The ESRI team is back with another NEARC Workshop! In this lunchtime session, ESRI content specialists will introduce you to tools in the ArcGIS Online environment to help you understand and manage your organization’s data and credit usage. These include: reports, dashboards, scripts and 3rd party tools. User types, roles, and groups can help administrators manage access to data, services, and other items, and will be discussed as well.
Event Resources
Event Recording
PowerPoint: ESRI Data Management in ArcGIS Online Workshop Presentation
ESRI Boston HUB: esri-boston-office.hub.arcgis.com
The ESRI team is back with another NEARC Workshop! In this lunchtime session, ESRI content specialists will introduce you to tools in the ArcGIS Online environment to help you understand and manage your organization’s data and credit usage. These include: reports, dashboards, scripts and 3rd party tools. User types, roles, and groups can help administrators manage access to data, services, and other items, and will be discussed as well.
Event Resources
Event Recording
PowerPoint: ESRI Data Management in ArcGIS Online Workshop Presentation
ESRI Boston HUB: esri-boston-office.hub.arcgis.com
NEARC Halloween Mappy Party
Tuesday, October 19th, 7:00 - 8:30pm
In celebration of our Fall NEARC Conference (Oct 17-20th) we invite you to join us for a NEARC Halloween Mappy Party! Whether you are attending NEARC or not, all are welcome to join in the fun. Costumes and festive attire are not required, but highly encouraged! There will be breakout rooms with a variety of Halloween GIS topics and themes. Take this opportunity to virtually mix and mingle with new and long term NEARC friends and colleagues. Share your scary GIS stories and what may haunt you from your mappy past. Come get inspired, swap stories, or just relax and enjoy the company of the wonderful people in our community.
In celebration of our Fall NEARC Conference (Oct 17-20th) we invite you to join us for a NEARC Halloween Mappy Party! Whether you are attending NEARC or not, all are welcome to join in the fun. Costumes and festive attire are not required, but highly encouraged! There will be breakout rooms with a variety of Halloween GIS topics and themes. Take this opportunity to virtually mix and mingle with new and long term NEARC friends and colleagues. Share your scary GIS stories and what may haunt you from your mappy past. Come get inspired, swap stories, or just relax and enjoy the company of the wonderful people in our community.
Race Equity Workshop
Wednesday, September 29th, 12:00 - 1:00pm
NEARC is welcoming back Clinton Johnson for a special Racial Equity Workshop on Wednesday, September 29th from 12pm-1pm. We invite you to engage in brave discussions with your colleagues, as you learn about applying an intersectional equity lens. Together we will explore, assess, and address racial injustice. We will gain insight into how to center the perspectives of those with the greatest need.
Clinton leads Esri's Racial Equity team and he also founded and leads the NorthStar of GIS, a community organization focused on equity and belonging for people Black / African diaspora in GIS. He is also an advocate for representation, inclusion, and belonging for people from underrepresented groups in GIS and STEM more broadly. In this event, Clinton will encourage us to take an empathic approach to technology, that begins with understanding real-world challenges faced by diverse communities and finding creative ways to implement practical solutions.
Event Resources
Event Recording: GIS Equity Workshop
Presentation: A Race Equity Workshop
ESRI Racial Equity Website
gisNorthStar.org
NEARC is welcoming back Clinton Johnson for a special Racial Equity Workshop on Wednesday, September 29th from 12pm-1pm. We invite you to engage in brave discussions with your colleagues, as you learn about applying an intersectional equity lens. Together we will explore, assess, and address racial injustice. We will gain insight into how to center the perspectives of those with the greatest need.
Clinton leads Esri's Racial Equity team and he also founded and leads the NorthStar of GIS, a community organization focused on equity and belonging for people Black / African diaspora in GIS. He is also an advocate for representation, inclusion, and belonging for people from underrepresented groups in GIS and STEM more broadly. In this event, Clinton will encourage us to take an empathic approach to technology, that begins with understanding real-world challenges faced by diverse communities and finding creative ways to implement practical solutions.
Event Resources
Event Recording: GIS Equity Workshop
Presentation: A Race Equity Workshop
ESRI Racial Equity Website
gisNorthStar.org
ArcGIS Online: The New Map Viewer and Instant Apps
Wednesday, August 11th, 12:00 - 1:00pm
NEARC is excited to announce a new collaboration with ESRI to bring even more community events to our members. We will be kicking off the ESRI Workshop Series with an event on August 11th - 12-1pm. In this lunchtime session ESRI content specialists will introduce you to ArcGIS Online’s new Map Viewer and “Instant Apps”. The new Map Viewer is their next generation map making tool and provides new ways to visualize data and build compelling web maps. Instant apps, the next generation of web mapping apps, includes a gallery of app templates and new configuration experiences as well. This event extends beyond the traditional presentation to also include some guided hands-on map and app creation. Attendees will be encouraged to follow along to create their own map and instant app using their own local data or content from the Living Atlas.
Event Resources
Event Recording
PowerPoint: ESRI Instant Apps Power Point pdf on Google Drive
ESRI Boston HUB: esri-boston-office.hub.arcgis.com
Additional Resources (Compiled by Esri)
Map Viewer blog posts
What’s new June 2021
Introducing ArcGIS Instant Apps (blog post)
Instant Apps video (Esri Canada)
NEARC is excited to announce a new collaboration with ESRI to bring even more community events to our members. We will be kicking off the ESRI Workshop Series with an event on August 11th - 12-1pm. In this lunchtime session ESRI content specialists will introduce you to ArcGIS Online’s new Map Viewer and “Instant Apps”. The new Map Viewer is their next generation map making tool and provides new ways to visualize data and build compelling web maps. Instant apps, the next generation of web mapping apps, includes a gallery of app templates and new configuration experiences as well. This event extends beyond the traditional presentation to also include some guided hands-on map and app creation. Attendees will be encouraged to follow along to create their own map and instant app using their own local data or content from the Living Atlas.
Event Resources
Event Recording
PowerPoint: ESRI Instant Apps Power Point pdf on Google Drive
ESRI Boston HUB: esri-boston-office.hub.arcgis.com
Additional Resources (Compiled by Esri)
Map Viewer blog posts
What’s new June 2021
Introducing ArcGIS Instant Apps (blog post)
Instant Apps video (Esri Canada)
NEARC's UC Mappy Hour
Thursday, July 22nd, 7:00 - 8:30pm
The ESRI User Conference is back and we at NEARC wish we could be in person with you all in San Diego. We look forward to hosting an in person Mappy Hour with you in 2022, but for now, let’s connect virtually! Come join your NEARC friends and colleagues at a UC Mappy Hour. Chat about your experience at the UC, share some takeaways or things you learned, or just talk about how you wish you were in San Diego. Didn’t attend the UC this year? That’s ok! Come connect and share past experiences, or just relax and connect with your favorite NEARC people. The UC is a great excuse for us to get together, so we look forward to connecting with you!
The ESRI User Conference is back and we at NEARC wish we could be in person with you all in San Diego. We look forward to hosting an in person Mappy Hour with you in 2022, but for now, let’s connect virtually! Come join your NEARC friends and colleagues at a UC Mappy Hour. Chat about your experience at the UC, share some takeaways or things you learned, or just talk about how you wish you were in San Diego. Didn’t attend the UC this year? That’s ok! Come connect and share past experiences, or just relax and connect with your favorite NEARC people. The UC is a great excuse for us to get together, so we look forward to connecting with you!
Identify the Need and Take Action
Wednesday, June 30th, 12:00 - 1:00pm
Over the last few months, the NEARC Community has come together to focus on important topics around social justice in this country. We invite you to bring together thoughts and ideas from our past events and discuss how to move forward. The event will begin with a discussion around the Call to Action Document that individuals have been contributing to from previous NEARC Community Events. From there we will turn the stage over to our guest, Sarah Baker from GPCOG, the planning and transportation agency in Portland, Maine. Sarah’s agency is in the very early stages of developing a series of social/environmental justice maps to help mitigate the need in her area. Sarah will share her story in hopes to help others in the NEARC Community take action in their own organizations and local communities.
Event Resources
Event Recording
Collaboration document | Please continue adding your thoughts and project ideas to the shared google document.
Equity Data for the Greater Portland Region | GPCOG Story Map
Additional Resources
GIS For Racial Equity | ESRI HUB
Racial Equity | GIS Tools to Address Racial Inequities | ESRI
GIS for Equity and Social Justice Best Practices | King County GIS
Applying Racial Equity Awareness in Data Visualization | by Data@Urban | Medium
Washington Equity Language Guide | wa.gov
Cartography and Power | GIS&T Body of Knowledge | ucgis.org
Over the last few months, the NEARC Community has come together to focus on important topics around social justice in this country. We invite you to bring together thoughts and ideas from our past events and discuss how to move forward. The event will begin with a discussion around the Call to Action Document that individuals have been contributing to from previous NEARC Community Events. From there we will turn the stage over to our guest, Sarah Baker from GPCOG, the planning and transportation agency in Portland, Maine. Sarah’s agency is in the very early stages of developing a series of social/environmental justice maps to help mitigate the need in her area. Sarah will share her story in hopes to help others in the NEARC Community take action in their own organizations and local communities.
Event Resources
Event Recording
Collaboration document | Please continue adding your thoughts and project ideas to the shared google document.
Equity Data for the Greater Portland Region | GPCOG Story Map
Additional Resources
GIS For Racial Equity | ESRI HUB
Racial Equity | GIS Tools to Address Racial Inequities | ESRI
GIS for Equity and Social Justice Best Practices | King County GIS
Applying Racial Equity Awareness in Data Visualization | by Data@Urban | Medium
Washington Equity Language Guide | wa.gov
Cartography and Power | GIS&T Body of Knowledge | ucgis.org
NEARC's Spring Social Mappy Hour
Tuesday, May 18th, 7:00 - 8:30pm
Spring NEARC is an annual, one-day conference packed with professional development and networking opportunities for all levels of GIS users. This year, Spring NEARC will be held virtually on Tuesday, May 18th, 9am - 5:30pm. There is still time to register to join that conference, so we hope to see you there!
After the conference, come join NEARC friends and colleagues for an informal Mappy Hour event. The Spring Social Mappy Hour is free and open to any and all who wish to attend. There will be some quick games followed by breakout rooms with a variety of Spring related topics and themes. What are you most looking forward to this Spring? Come connect and share with us!
Spring NEARC is an annual, one-day conference packed with professional development and networking opportunities for all levels of GIS users. This year, Spring NEARC will be held virtually on Tuesday, May 18th, 9am - 5:30pm. There is still time to register to join that conference, so we hope to see you there!
After the conference, come join NEARC friends and colleagues for an informal Mappy Hour event. The Spring Social Mappy Hour is free and open to any and all who wish to attend. There will be some quick games followed by breakout rooms with a variety of Spring related topics and themes. What are you most looking forward to this Spring? Come connect and share with us!
Mapping Inequality
Thursday, April 29th, 12:00 - 1:15pm
Where people live affects their exposure to health-promoting resources and opportunities (i.e., access to quality food, recreation, healthcare, etc.) as well as exposure to health-damaging threats (i.e., environmental pollutants, poor housing quality, climate change, etc.). It can also have long-term impacts on property values, the single most driver of wealth creation in our nation. The twentieth century's formal and informal practices of racial residential segregation have systematically shaped characteristics of the built environment that we can still see imprinted in our communities today.
In this hands-on workshop, we will explore how maps play a role in understanding how federal practices exacerbate inequalities in our urban communities to this day. As GIS Professionals, you will learn how to access and understand Redlining data while using it to lay the groundwork for digital storytelling. For this workshop, we will be using ArcGIS Online maps as well as data from the Living Atlas. To participate in the hands-on portion, it is recommended that you have access to an ArcGIS Online account.
Event Resources
Event Recording
Collaboration document. Please continue adding your thoughts and project ideas to the shared google document.
Digital Scholarship Lab at the University of Richmond
Mapping Inequality Redlining Map
Home Owners' Loan Corporation (HOLC) Neighborhood Redlining Grade – Living atlas data
Where people live affects their exposure to health-promoting resources and opportunities (i.e., access to quality food, recreation, healthcare, etc.) as well as exposure to health-damaging threats (i.e., environmental pollutants, poor housing quality, climate change, etc.). It can also have long-term impacts on property values, the single most driver of wealth creation in our nation. The twentieth century's formal and informal practices of racial residential segregation have systematically shaped characteristics of the built environment that we can still see imprinted in our communities today.
In this hands-on workshop, we will explore how maps play a role in understanding how federal practices exacerbate inequalities in our urban communities to this day. As GIS Professionals, you will learn how to access and understand Redlining data while using it to lay the groundwork for digital storytelling. For this workshop, we will be using ArcGIS Online maps as well as data from the Living Atlas. To participate in the hands-on portion, it is recommended that you have access to an ArcGIS Online account.
Event Resources
Event Recording
Collaboration document. Please continue adding your thoughts and project ideas to the shared google document.
Digital Scholarship Lab at the University of Richmond
Mapping Inequality Redlining Map
Home Owners' Loan Corporation (HOLC) Neighborhood Redlining Grade – Living atlas data
Census Essentials for GIS Professionals - Understanding ACS & Decennial Data
Wednesday, March 24th, 5:00 - 6:30pm
NEARC is excited to welcome David J. Kraiker, Data Dissemination & GIS Specialist from the U.S. Census Bureau. David will be leading a NEARC Community Workshop designed to help GIS Professionals gain a better understanding of what data is available, as well as how to access and work with that data. His presentation will include background information, such as frequency of datasets, geography, data thresholds, and Margin of Error. Together we will then delve into data.census.gov to learn how to retrieve American Community Survey (ACS) and the forthcoming 2020 Census data.
Following David’s presentation, the final 30 minutes of this workshop will allow attendees to split into breakout rooms to use this information to take action. We will continue the exploration into how we, as GIS Professionals, can build a baseline understanding of social and racial inequities and help bring awareness and engagement to our communities.
Event Resources
Event Recording (YouTube)
Collaboration document. Please continue adding your thoughts and project ideas to the shared google document.
NEARC is excited to welcome David J. Kraiker, Data Dissemination & GIS Specialist from the U.S. Census Bureau. David will be leading a NEARC Community Workshop designed to help GIS Professionals gain a better understanding of what data is available, as well as how to access and work with that data. His presentation will include background information, such as frequency of datasets, geography, data thresholds, and Margin of Error. Together we will then delve into data.census.gov to learn how to retrieve American Community Survey (ACS) and the forthcoming 2020 Census data.
Following David’s presentation, the final 30 minutes of this workshop will allow attendees to split into breakout rooms to use this information to take action. We will continue the exploration into how we, as GIS Professionals, can build a baseline understanding of social and racial inequities and help bring awareness and engagement to our communities.
Event Resources
Event Recording (YouTube)
Collaboration document. Please continue adding your thoughts and project ideas to the shared google document.
The Role of Geography and Mapping in Segregation, A Discussion
Wednesday, February 24th, 5:00 - 6:00pm
NEARC is hosting the first Community Workshop of 2021. This event will be centered around the Segregated by Design video, which examines the history of how our federal, state and local governments unconstitutionally segregated every major metropolitan area in America through law, policy, and geography.
As GIS professionals, we understand the power of geography and maps, however, we don't often discuss how geography and maps have impacted or shaped our country and its people. This workshop is the start of a series, to expand our awareness, to extend our understanding, and to open discussion about geography and mapping's role in policies and that practices that created and maintain racial inequity, wealth inequity, and more in our communities. With this greater awareness, we can also discuss how we can use our knowledge and skills and take action to break the harmful systems that still exist today.
Together we will watch this short film and then have a discussion about these topics, specifically with a focus on geography and maps.
Event Resources
Event Recording (YouTube)
Call to Action document. Please continue adding your thoughts and project ideas to the shared google document.
NEARC is hosting the first Community Workshop of 2021. This event will be centered around the Segregated by Design video, which examines the history of how our federal, state and local governments unconstitutionally segregated every major metropolitan area in America through law, policy, and geography.
As GIS professionals, we understand the power of geography and maps, however, we don't often discuss how geography and maps have impacted or shaped our country and its people. This workshop is the start of a series, to expand our awareness, to extend our understanding, and to open discussion about geography and mapping's role in policies and that practices that created and maintain racial inequity, wealth inequity, and more in our communities. With this greater awareness, we can also discuss how we can use our knowledge and skills and take action to break the harmful systems that still exist today.
Together we will watch this short film and then have a discussion about these topics, specifically with a focus on geography and maps.
Event Resources
Event Recording (YouTube)
Call to Action document. Please continue adding your thoughts and project ideas to the shared google document.
NEARC’s New Year Mappy Hour
Thursday, January 28th, ~ 5:00 - 6:00pm
Come join new and old NEARC friends and colleagues for an informal Mappy Hour event. There will be breakout rooms with a variety of New Year topics and themes. Do you have GIS resolutions? What are you excited about for 2021? Is this the year you finally learn that cool new AGOL app?!
Come get inspired, swap stories, or just relax and catch up.
Come join new and old NEARC friends and colleagues for an informal Mappy Hour event. There will be breakout rooms with a variety of New Year topics and themes. Do you have GIS resolutions? What are you excited about for 2021? Is this the year you finally learn that cool new AGOL app?!
Come get inspired, swap stories, or just relax and catch up.