New York State 4-H Geospatial Science and Technology

Capacity Building and Community Impact 

  • Date: May - August 2021
  • Location: CCE Broome County
  • Intern: Robert Colley (Robert's blog) 
  • Faculty sponsor: Susan B. Hoskins 
  • Mentor/supervisor: Kelly Adams
  • Stipend: $5,000
4-H students working on a drone
2016 4-H Career Explorations: Drone Discovery Foam Gliders.
Photo by Chris Kitchen, Cornell University

Tools of geospatial science and technology include Global Positioning System (GPS), Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing (learning from a distance) will be put in the hands of 4-H educators and youth leaders enabling New York State youth to develop mapping projects for community issue exploration, resource inventory, and understanding. Grab and Go curriculum will be documented for 4-H Educators to use with youth members to teach them about these concepts and projects.

Roles and responsibilities 

Interns will learn the basics of the software that is used in the program, meet some youth involved in the state-level 4-H Geospatial Program, and work with NYS 4-H Geospatial Staff. They will help document proven activities. Interns will also provide valuable knowledge about best practices for virtual educational opportunity engagement. Interns will work remotely, participating in Zoom calls and via e-mail with the team.

Qualifications and previous coursework

  • Microsoft Office Suite Experience
  • Possible Curriculum Development or Learner Principles
  • Good communication skills
  • Spatial thinking abilities
  • Willingness to learn

Learning outcomes 

Student Interns will learn skills in curriculum development, and documentation. They will learn to use ArcGIS Online, StoryMaps, Connect Explorer, Google Maps, and more. They will learn how to work on a team for the development of a curriculum. They will also learn some of the principles behind Positive Youth Development that will be built into the activities that are documented.