New STEM Campaign Aims to Promote Virtual Community Service Within the World Scouting Movement

Geneva, Switzerland, May 19, 2020 –(PR.com)– Recognizing that communities are often missing from the maps available to first responders during humanitarian crises, a new campaign provides the knowledge, skills, networks, and exposure that Scouts require to map the most vulnerable places around the world.

Created by a NOVA Award Counselor from the Aloha Council in Hawaii, Scouts Who Map is more than just an initiative to excite and expand a sense of wonder about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) among Scouts. It is a movement to transform Scouts into skilled mappers who are capable of effectively responding to real-world humanitarian crises.

“Scouts Who Map is a movement for social change through servant leadership enabled by geospatial technologies,” says Michael Walsh, founder of Scouts Who Map. “Scouts Who Map works to foster an active community of Scout Mappers who are willing and able to respond to humanitarian crises wherever and whenever they occur out there in the world.”

In pursuit of this lofty goal, Scouts Who Map supports the development of increased proficiency in the use of geospatial technologies, promotes virtual community service through humanitarian mapping, and encourages thought leadership on geospatial data analysis and valued-added geospatial services within the World Scouting Movement.

To date, Scouts Who Map has contributed to the design and development of a mapathon training program for newbie mappers, a five-day COVID-19 challenge for experienced mappers, an online NOVA Award course on geospatial programming, and a social collaborative workspace for adult leaders and senior youth leaders within the Boy Scouts of America. The campaign has also supported the launch of a large-scale mapathon to promote community service through humanitarian mapping in celebration of World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day 2020.

To learn more about Scouts Who Map, contact: mapathon@seascoutsonline.org.