Portland State University (Portland State University Center for Geography Education (C-GEO))

Portland State University's Geography Department and the Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies, in partnership with the Multnomah County Library and the University of Pittsburgh, Civic Switchboard (LG-70-17-0146-17) project team, will develop a collaborative Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math through Geographic Information Systems (STEAM-GIS) program with public libraries and data providers in order to better serve data users, make data easier to use and support equitable access to information. This project seeks to examine the potential role that public libraries can play in offering geospatial and GIS services in a rapidly changing digital environment. By developing a broad, evidence-based toolkit of resources and piloting a series of workshops (in Portland, Oregon and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), the long-term goal is to establish a national network of public libraries, open-source data providers and interested learners (e.g., local teachers, public library users, community activist groups, neighborhood associations, after-school program providers).