Release Date:
The National Map Corps is requesting volunteer assistance to verify geographic information related to education structures in Illinois.
The National Map Corps (TNM Corps) is an online crowdsourcing mapping project with citizen volunteers editing structures in all 50 States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. As part of The National Map, structures include schools, hospitals, post offices, police stations, cemeteries, and other important public buildings. By updating and verifying structures data, volunteers are making significant contributions to USGS National Structures Database, The National Map, and ultimately U.S. Topo Maps.
Mapping Challenges are launched periodically as a way to focus volunteers on areas that need editing. A new Challenge has been released that is focused on education related structures in Illinois in advance of US Topo quadrangle revisions for the state.
Icons for school types on The National Map Corps editor. (Public domain.)
This data collection and verification includes all of the following school feature types:
- General Schools,
- Elementary Schools,
- Middle Schools,
- High Schools,
- Technical / Trade Schools,
- and Colleges / Universities
This Challenge will be the biggest request yet, with more than 3,140 points to be reviewed. Due to the size, this specific task is planned to run through the end of October, 2017.
As a reminder, volunteers who contribute in the Mapping Challenge can be recognized (if desired) on TNMCorps Challenge page, the USGS website and also tweeted on The National Map Twitter account.
Anyone with an interest and internet connections can contribute to mapping the Nation. Before starting, you may want to check out some of the common questions and answers posted about Schools on our Q&A page. If you haven’t edited Schools yet (or lately), we also recommend you review specifics about editing Schools in the user guide, especially the Resources section, which explains what types of websites are authoritative and what types are not. Additionally, there are several informative articles about editing Schools in the May 2017 TNM Corps Newsletter.
TNM Corps and the USGS appreciate the hundreds of citizen cartographers who have participated in the volunteer geographic information program. If you are not part of this movement, we suggest you check it out today. Happy mapping!
Status graphic displaying the current number and location of Illinois education support structures that need to be checked, are in need of advanced review, or are finished. (Public domain.)
Status map showing the location and number of school types in Illinois.(Public domain.)
