Think Creative - Issue 2

Creative Life a mission-driven community 30 | Think Creative | Issue 2 When Google Earth became available, what did you search for first? You could have (virtually) explored anywhere in the world – the peaks of Patagonia, white beaches of Mediterranean islands, twisting road networks of New Delhi – but chances are that you zoomed in and panned down straight to your own house. Inmy work, I’ve foundmaps to be power- ful. Tapping into that connection between person and place can be a potent tool that gives meaning to information or an activity. For example, in support of the USAID- funded Community, Family and Youth Resilience program in the Caribbean, the Development Lab set out to get local youth ages 10 to 29 engaged in the abstract con- cept of digital spatial data collection. During a youth asset mapper training held inNovember in Vieux Fort, Saint Lucia, a group of youth sat with glazed eyes through my explanation of asset mapping and com- munity engagement. But when we rolled out massive printouts of aerial imagery across the floor and asked participants to locate their homes, we had their attention. There was some skepticism – one young woman rolled her eyes at the activity. “That’s impossible,” she said. Within a fewminutes, however, the entire group was down on their hands and knees poring over the images, excitedly pointing out buildings they recognized and roads that were familiar. By mistake, a section of the map had not been printed. Nonethe- less, several of the youth were filling in the gaps on their own, drawing in sections of road, adding coastline and outlining their own neighborhoods and houses. The girl who initially declared the activity impossible even pulled me across the room to proudly show off the red heart she had drawn around her home. As part of the Creative Development Lab, I spend my time adapting technology linked to Geospatial Information Systems, or GIS, to support Creative’s programs. Maps and spatial data can be powerful analytical tools – particularly in the chal- lenging environments in which we often work. But maps can also serve as a means for community engagement and inclusive communication. Even if you have never seen aerial imagery before, even if you aren’t literate, you can find the familiar bend in the road leading to your home. n Cate Johnson Geospatial Information Systems Technology Associate Creative Development Lab Asset mapping allows us to give storytelling power back to the communities, to put that ability into the hands of youth.” “ walk this way A day in the life of a Creative team member Photos by Skip Brown (top left), Kathy McClure (top & bottom right), Cate Johnson (center right) Youth identify their homes from aerial imagery Community members brainstorm potential uses for asset maps Youth use their phones to map their community. To see how mapping works, turn to page 9!