The Department of Geography Geoinformatics and Meteorology hosted a virtual Geospatial Tech event on the 10th of October 2020. 

The objective of the Geospatial Tech event was to present South African secondary school learners with an opportunity to learn more about geospatial technologies and how to apply them in support of their communities. Learners will also hear about study options, bursary opportunities and careers where geospatial technologies are applied. This year, we invited students from the BSc Extended programme at the University. 

The event started with an overview of the three programmes in our department. The students assisting during the event also shared why they decide on their degree programme and what part they enjoy. This was followed by a hands-on session using Datawrapper. We provide the participants with two datasets and asked them to produce a map using the software. We used breakout sessions to help the participants and help guide them when needed. The participants that created the best map will receive a small prize. 

Here are some of the maps created by the participants:

• https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/qqvr8/2/
• https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/2dvrp/2/
• https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/2ArNU/3/

Lastly, we used Kahoot.it to run a geoquiz session. During the quiz, we asked participants questions about geography and pop culture. This is a fun and interactive session and the participants usually enjoy this immensely. 

We would like to thank all the participants that attended the event and the students that assisted.