Youth-mappers

Embarking on my first State of the Map US (SoTMUS) experience in Richmond, Virginia, was a dream come true. This year, with financial support through a travel grant, I eagerly delved into the realm of open mapping communities from the US.

The YouthMappers network competitively selected university students from chapters worldwide to participate in the 2023 YouthMappers Leadership Fellows Summit held in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Undergraduate and graduate students from a recognized YouthMappers chapter were chosen based on their demonstrated leadership potential, technical abilities in open mapping, and strong communication skills.

On February 18, 2023, I organized an online get-together for all local chapters of YouthMappers in the Philippines. The Filipino YouthMappers community has grown over the years, so gathering them together helps nurture our community and creates a sense of belonging in the network. Also, part of this event is to collectively create a social impact to the communities in Turkey and Syria affected by the massive earthquake last February 6, 2023.

As an OSM volunteer, I know the significance of assisting communities during these critical times. Through YouthMappers, we supported the disaster activation efforts of Yer Cizenler by conducting regular mapathons.

I am highlighting the significant contributions of the local chapters of YouthMappers in the OSM community in 2022 and a short reflection about the impacts of YouthMappers in a local context.

Senior high school students from the Philippine Science High School - Bicol Region Campus, Carlo Mañago and Rhoanne Miranda, pursue community mapping using OpenStreetMap (OSM) as part of their Science Immersion program.

My first year as a Regional Ambassador for YouthMappers has concluded!

The need for serving the communities through providing them with accurate and updated data still matters, but the joy of working with the people we meet help sustain us (volunteers) in continuing our volunteer efforts.