Why are we building the nation’s 1st GeoBus?
This is the question we are asked the most. Here’s our why.
We believe in the Golden Rule. Yes, that one. “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.”
Kindness, empathy, hope, compassion. These Golden Rule principles guided the amazing teachers who inspired each of us over the years on our paths to becoming adults. And in the best of times during this global pandemic, the Golden Rule has brought families, friends, and communities together in new and creative ways.
But you know what? Sometimes when we grow up, and sometimes in the midst of the darker days of this pandemic, we forget those important lessons we learned as kids and we forget the Golden Rule.
The Golden Rule drives everything we do at Citizen Science GIS at University of Central Florida. When we begin work in a new environment we go in believing that the folks living in these communities will know more than we do. That’s right, we believe researchers don’t have all the answers.
When we ask communities how our collaborations can have the most impact in their communities. The answers might surprise you. Overwhelmingly, it doesn’t come back to the fancy technology like our drones…our imagery…or our mapping applications. Certainly, those are priorities of the communities in which we work, but the number one answer we receive in every single community in which we work? That answer to what can have the greatest impact?
The answer is always: inspire our children because they are the future of our community.
In response to the communities we work with and by applying the Golden Rule, our work contains a huge youth educational component.
Since 2016, we’ve hosted the Maps, Apps and Drones Tour in Central Florida and in Belize. These free school and library visits have provided over 10,000 children with hands-on experiences in geospatial technologies.
And now it’s time scale this work up in a big way.
Kids matter, they are the future of the geospatial technology community. They are science’s next generation. And they are excited about our technologies. Their drive and passion for geospatial technologies and serving their communities embody the power of the Golden Rule.
Remember when you and I were kids? They said dream big. When you and I grew up, we had a chance to live that dream. And more importantly you and I have a chance —a responsibility— to help the next generation dream big.
GeoBus is a big idea from our Citizen Science GIS team, that took a bit of a pause during COVID, but is moving forward at full steam right now at UCF.
We’re taking a retrofitted city bus donated to us by Lynx and turning it into a 40-foot mobile lab…a place for kids to dream big and believe in what’s possible. And we’re doing it together through partnership with people who believe in the power of the Golden Rule.
The bus doesn’t look like much right here. But imagine what’s possible with the Golden Rule and with people coming together?
This, this is what happens.
When it parks at schools, our mobile lab will be powered by the sun thanks to our donated solar partnership from local company, 15lightyears and UCF alum Lisa Pearcy.
We’re empowering Florida kids with GeoBus for the same reasons you do what you do as academics and industry professionals:
We believe in the power of geospatial technologies to aide humanity and we believe in the Golden Rule.
We are the community that can inspire the next generation just like those teachers who inspired us so many years ago.
Join us as we build GeoBus, and as we help science’s next generation work toward and believe in their dreams.
Why do you want GeoBus built? Share in the comments and on social media.
**The blog above is a condensed version of the keynote address at the 2021 South Florida GIS Expo in August 2021 in West Palm Beach, FL presented by our founder, Dr. Timothy L. Hawthorne, Associate Professor of GIS and National Geographic Explorer.