Program Description

The role of spatial analysis in local, state and regional public health has steadily increased over the last decade with the infusion of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software such as ESRI ArcGIS Pro.  The goal of this workshop is to provide an introduction to GIS with a specific focus on applications to public health. Through hands-on, immersive exercises using ArcGIS the workshop will prepare you to feel comfortable communicating with other GIS users, view and query spatial data, and produce high quality digital maps in an applied learning environment to support public health decision making.

This is a three-day (20 hour) intensive introductory level mapping workshop for novice GIS users, applicable to all public health fields. Topics covered include navigating the ArcPro GIS software, basic mapping, querying spatial data, development and processing of geographical datasets, working with Census and American Community Survey data, merging with health data, and developing maps to support public health decision making. Participants will be given access to ArcGIS Pro software for the duration of the program.

Competencies

Participants will learn to:

• Navigate GIS software;
• Add and query spatial data;
• Download and map census data;
• Geocode addresses;
• Communicate data with maps;
• Conduct spatial cluster analyses.

Required knowledge/pre-requisites

A basic understanding of Microsoft excel, while not essential, is highly recommended.

Digital Badge

Participants who meet the program requirements are eligible to receive a badge of completion.