Umap

Adult Facilitator Guide

______________________________________________________________________

Prepared By: Dr. Pamela Wridt University of Colorado Denver Department of Planning and Design Children, Youth and Environments Center for Research & Design pamela.wridt@ucdenver.edu (303) 556-3472

Umap Adult Facilitator Guide

______________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Umap team! This guidebook is an educational resource for adult practitioners, teachers, agency and public officials, parents and community leaders who want to explore the power of community mapping with young people. Learn how to make maps, what supplies you will need to do a Umap Project and the principles guiding a successful process that will lead to action and social change. Table of Contents

1. Umap Goals 2. Umap Guiding Principles 3. Building Positive Adult-Youth Partnerships 4. Stakeholder Identification and Coalition Building 5. Establishing Project Goals, Strategies and Outcomes 6. Making maps 7. Supporting Methods 8. Developing an Action Plan 9. Supplies 10. Technical Information

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Umap Goals
______________________________________________________________________ Use maps and the mapping process to foster youth voice in community- and citylevel decision-making processes and policies Engage young people and other residents in a dialogue about their perceptions of neighborhood assets and issues in their communities Enhance spaces and programs identified by residents as making an impact in young peoples lives in their communities Target place-specific interventions based on resident perceptions Determine historical and spatial trends in resident perceptions of their community Evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention or project over time Leverage outside political, social, financial and other types of support to support resident-identified needs Train residents in the value of mapping as a tool for analyzing spatial information about a community Create maps that represent resident perceptions about their community and compare them with city data about the community to determine spatial correlations, mismatches or misrepresentations, e.g., comparing resident perceptions of crime with reported crime from the police department to determine if changes in service provision need to be made

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Umap Guiding Principles

______________________________________________________________________ Youth participation/civic engagement When given the opportunity and appropriate tools, young people are capable of participating in community- and city-level decisionmaking processes. Umap projects promote and enable youth civic engagement to ensure the needs and desires of young people are valued and respected by the programs and places that nurture their development. Umap projects can be conducted with children as young as 8 years old and are engaging to older youth and adults as well. Young people consider the activities shared on this website fun, which is an often overlooked, but crucial component to fostering their civic engagement. Adult-youth partnerships Young people accomplish their goals with the support of, and in partnership with caring adults. All of the projects shared on the Umap website are grounded in adult-youth partnerships. Parents, schoolteachers, civic leaders and other supportive adults are instrumental in making Umap a success. It is important for adults to recognize their role as champions for young peoples participation, to develop relationships based on trust and mutual respect, and to sometimes rethink the way youth are viewed in society. Young people need to recognize the value of working with adults to achieve their goals and ideas for making their community a better place. Community-based solutions Umap projects are designed to engage young people and other residents in developing their own solutions to problems in their community in order to ensure these solutions are culturally relevant and grounded in their everyday lives. Research shows that when residents are engaged in creating solutions to problems or promoting strengths of their communities, the likelihood of the success of a project or intervention is greater. Strategic coalitions Umap projects are most successful when coalitions are formed between universities, communities, city agencies and a range of other key stakeholders. Sometimes Umap projects are designed to improve a particular program for youth within a community, but more frequently projects are focused on addressing a specific issue that affects young people in a neighborhood or city. In order to be successful in taking action around the results of the mapping process, Umap projects rely upon coalitions of those who have the power to create change. Universities can often provide technical assistance needed to make a Umap project successful, especially if sophisticated mapping software is used. Communities can support a Umap project by rallying around young peoples ideas, and city agencies typically have the power to reallocate resources, change programs, or to create new spaces for young people. Understanding the political landscape of a community or city and knowing who to bring to the table are key to affecting the desired change from the Umap process. Privacy & ethics Umap projects are based on perceptions young people and other residents have about a particular community or issue. Perceptions are formed through personal experiences, cultural values and beliefs, family lifestyles and personal preferences. When young people are asked to map their perceptions, they will often reveal personal information about themselves, their families and communities. The Umap process must take into consideration the potentially sensitive nature of information being shared and take steps to protect young peoples privacy. For example, sometimes it is a good idea to employ a mapping process by working with boys and girls separately,
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especially if dealing with issues of safety. In other cases, it is more important to put very diverse groups of young people together to get at issues of difference in a community. The maps created from the Umap process are designed to be a composite portrait of an issue (a map showing all the places identified by youth) and to protect individual identities. However, before conducting a Umap project, it is important to consider the ethics behind what information is being mapped and how that information will be used or shared. Social action & neighborhood change The main goal for doing a Umap project is to promote social action and neighborhood change based on young peoples perspectives, desires and needs. Change can be at the individual, community, agency/program, environmental and/or city level depending upon the focus of the Umap project. Change is often difficult to achieve if there is a paradigm shift or public financing required; change takes time. There are a number of useful models for approaching change, such as community mobilizing, assets based community development and rationale planning, among others. Which model(s) are appropriate for your Umap project will depend upon the resources and stakeholders you can bring to the table, but it is important to make change a goal from the start, even if that change is incremental and at a small scale. Flexibility The Umap process is designed to be flexible in the sense that it can be used by a wide range of stakeholders for a diversity of issues. While the focus of this website is on working with young people, adults are equally capable and intrigued by mapping as a way to express their opinions. Anything can be mapped because all of our actions occur in place. Umap highlights the role of place in social relations in this way. You will find a variety of different topics addressed in this website, including perceptions about safety, childrens routes to school, parent restrictions on childrens mobility, access to healthy foods, social networks and personal preferences for places. The Umap process is also designed to be flexible in the level of sophistication and amount of time you want to spend on a project. On this website you will find useful information about how to conduct a Umap process as part of a one-time workshop, or as a lengthy curriculum within a school or youth serving organization. In addition, you will find suggestions for how to conduct a low-budget, paper-based mapping process, as well as a more sophisticated process that relies upon advanced spatial/mapping software and technical expertise. Research and best practices All of the information contained on this website is based on research and best practices in the fields of youth participation in planning and community development, community mapping, civic engagement, public health, youth development, community mobilizing, and geographic education. Each sample project provides a summary of research related to its topic and resources for further investigation. These research summaries will be useful for practitioners and youth to argue for change, as well as for academics interested in conducting new research in these fields.

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Building Adult-Youth Partnerships

______________________________________________________________________ Umap projects are successful because they are based on adult-youth partnerships. Adult-youth partnerships are grounded in positive youth development principles, including viewing youth as resources, empowering young people to be leaders and to make informed decisions, and connecting youth with the communities they live in to improve the quality of life for all residents. Umap projects are also grounded in civic engagement and geography education best practices, including making presentations at public meetings to City Council and making maps to analyze spatial information. Young people have fresh ideas; adults have the resources to help them carry out those ideas. Communication between groups is key. Adults and youth may have to overcome their preconceived notions of the other. Adults may underestimate the contribution youth can make to a Umap project. Youth may need help in being comfortable working with adults. Youth and adults need time to get comfortable with each other. Adults are more experienced and are typically more comfortable participating in meetings. Therefore, as the facilitator, it is your responsibility to ensure that all voices are heard. Youth need time to get familiar with the process and content of a formal meeting, and may need help. Small groups are excellent ways to ensure that youth feel comfortable expressing their opinions. Building relationships takes time and it should not be overlooked within the Umap process as a trivial matter. Below are some questions you may want to consider when building relationships and creating a foundation for positive adult-youth partnerships in a Umap project. Have you created a welcoming environment? Have you said hello to everyone as they enter the room? Have you made an effort to learn everyones name? Are you providing food and music in your meeting? Are you holding meetings in locations that young people can access easily via public transportation? Are meetings at times that consider young peoples busy school schedules? What can I do to make young people feel comfortable sharing ideas with their peers and with adults? How often am I soliciting feedback from young people? Am I prepared to facilitate a session with both adults and youth?

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Stakeholder identification & coalition building ________________________________________________

Umap relies upon a network of different stakeholders to ensure change can happen based on youth voice shared in the mapping results. Stakeholders are any adults or youth who have a stake in achieving the goals of a Umap Project, and in particular, who may have the power to get youth ideas implemented in a neighborhood or city. Depending upon the overall goals of the project and the way in which young people are involved, a range of different community groups and public officials can be approached. The most common stakeholders in a Umap project are listed below with a brief description of why they typically choose to participate, and their main roles in the process.
Summary of Most Common Stakeholders Interested in Umap Projects Potential Stakeholders City agencies and youth serving organizations Motivation for Participation Opportunity to engage young people in research, dialogue and evaluation of the services designed to serve them Improve youth services, programs and places based on youth voice Competitive edge on grant applications due to integration of youth voice Ability to analyze how youth perceptions about services and communities may differ from information typically used to determine budget allocations and service provisions Opportunity to partner with young people, parents, community residents and public officials to improve services Opportunity to express their own opinions and desires for their community and city Respect from community residents and city officials for youth voice Making relationships with other young people and supportive adults Participation in fun, educational and empowering activities Playing a leadership role in the community and city Ability to change their communities and the city to be better places for everyone, but especially for young people Primary Roles Facilitate training and implementation of mapping process, including helping youth to develop ideas for mapping topics and taking action on the results of their mapping Providing mapping supplies and other resources to implement a Umap project Adult leadership and support to build coalitions and implement youth ideas Lobbying other city agencies, foundations and individuals to provide additional support for youth programs, services and spaces

Young people, youth commissions and youth advisory boards

Identifying topics to be mapped Establishing goals of project Helping to get other young people involved Sharing local knowledge on maps and through other creative methods Helping to analyze information on maps Developing creative ways to share maps with community members and public officials Determining action to be taken from mapping process Taking action on specific ideas generated from the mapping process Evaluating impact of action

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Schoolteachers

Opportunity to engage young people in civic education processes Ability to integrate Umap into an existing service-learning curriculum in geography, social studies, health or a related field Showcase the school as a leader in youth civic engagement Enhance student performance, especially in geography or a related field of study Desire to give young people an opportunity to affect change in their communities Opportunity to partner with parents, community residents and public officials Opportunity to engage young people in health research and interventions Value of youth voice in designing health interventions that serve them Improve quality of services provided to youth for their healthy development Opportunity to partner with parents, community residents and public officials to design interventions Opportunity for their son/daughter to participate in civic processes Youth development and personal growth Competitive edge for their son/daughter in college admissions Pride in knowing their son/daughter is trying to make their community and city a better place Desire to partner with their son/daughter to affect change Opportunity to engage young people in research on the planning and design of their communities and city Documentation and evaluation of Umap process for others to use Ability to publish research on youth civic engagement and related topics Opportunity to partner with young

Facilitate training and implementation of mapping process, including helping youth to develop ideas for mapping topics and taking action on the results of their mapping Providing mapping supplies and other resources to implement a Umap project Adult leadership and support to build coalitions and implement youth ideas

Public health practitioners

Facilitate training and implementation of mapping process, including helping youth to develop ideas for mapping topics and taking action on the results of their mapping Providing mapping supplies and other resources to implement a Umap project Adult leadership and support to build coalitions and implement youth ideas Provide encouragement and support for their son/daughter in Umap project Bring young people to meetings and help with transportation Volunteer in the Umap process to help youth voices be valued, listened to, and acted upon Rallying community support for youth desires, needs and ideas for change

Parents

Academics

Facilitate training and implementation of mapping process, including helping youth to develop ideas for mapping topics and taking action on the results of their mapping Providing technical support for mapping process, including the use of specialized software to analyze spatial information on

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people, parents, community residents and public officials to affect change Desire to integrate Umap process with undergraduate and graduate curriculums within the university to provide service-learning opportunities for college students

maps Providing mapping supplies and other resources to implement a Umap project Adult leadership and support to build coalitions and implement youth ideas Lobbying other city agencies, foundations and individuals to provide additional support for youth programs, services and spaces

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Establishing project goals, strategies and outcomes ________________________________________________

Umap projects can be implemented in a variety of ways, including one-time workshops, weeklong retreats, or as part of a larger curriculum for a school, youth group or community agency. It is important that young people help establish the goals of the Umap project with adults. The Umap process may require discussions and activities other than mapping to arrive at a group decision of what to map and how to affect change (see supporting methods). It also important to determine a strategy for implementing a Umap project and to consider resources needed to be successful. The following chart presents two scenarios for a Umap project in terms of the type of youth input that is sought, sample goals and strategies, and potential outcomes. Type of community and/or youth input Advisory young people or community residents are approached by someone for their opinions about a program, service or place in the community or city Comprehensive young people and adults decide themselves to work together to investigate a range of issues affecting children and youth in their community or city Project Goals Strategy Potential Outcomes

Obtain a representative sample of youth or community resident input on a focused issue affecting their community or city

1-2 hour long workshops with a large number of different youth groups or community residents, such as a youth conference

1-3 composite maps that can be shared with community residents or public officials to affect change

Obtain a representative sample of youth and community resident input on a range of issues affecting their community or city

Lengthy, ongoing workshops with a small group of youth or community residents, such as a class or youth council

5-10 composite maps and other supporting data (such as photographs and essays) that can be shared with community residents or public officials to affect change

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Making Maps ________________________________________________

Mapping is the central method used on Umap projects to understand young peoples perceptions of their community or city. This section describes the steps in producing maps, including how to create map outputs on a computer and how to analyze the information or stories on the maps with children and youth. Currently the Umap mapping process is based on a two phases: 1) gathering information with children and youth on paper maps using stickers and markers, and 2) compiling information on the paper maps into a computer-based map visual or output. In the near future, groups conducting Umap projects will have the opportunity to purchase the use of an online, web mapping tool UMAPPER which allows young people to map their perceptions directly onto the computer, eliminating the paper mapping phase altogether. It is beneficial to work with a professional geographer or planner who can use a sophisticated mapping software called Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to help transfer student paper maps into the computer. Consult your local university and planning department to locate these individuals. Step 1: Determine the area to be mapped Typically Umap projects focus on particular neighborhoods or areas surrounding a school or community based organization. For older youth who have greater mobility and access to the city, larger geographic areas may be targeted for a Umap project. It is important to consider both the topic you are trying to map (such as where children play and hang out), as well as the age group you are working with (younger children or older youth) when determining the map scale. For projects focused on neighborhoods, it is a good idea to have a map scale of 1 inch = .05 miles, or 1 inch on the map represents .05 miles in real space. This scale allows young people to clearly see the rooftop of homes, streets, alleys, trees, and major landmarks. On a 36x 48 print of an aerial photograph, this translates to a geographic territory of 2 square miles. Test out the ability of young people to use whatever map you select first to determine if they are able to find their home and other recognizable features.

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A sample aerial photograph at a scale legible to young people (from Google Earth):

Step 2: Determine the topic(s) to be mapped Umap projects can focus on a specific issue affecting young people in a community or city (such as safety), or can be more comprehensive in nature (such as understanding the role of a community in promoting childrens physical activity). Umap topics should be developed in consultation with young people themselves if possible. Three basic symbols or features can be used to map topics: 1) points, 2) lines and 3) areas. Points show location; lines indicate movement; and areas indicate territories or regions. When conducting a Umap project, you should consider if what you want to map falls under a specific location or point, if you want to map movement or travel routes indicated by lines, or if you want to map areas, such as perceived neighborhood boundaries.

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A sample of mapping topics from a Umap project focused on childrens physical activity and healthy development are listed below.

Map topics Map 1: Getting oriented (home, school, routes to school, neighborhood boundaries) Map 2: Places to play and hang out Map 3: Friends and family we know in the neighborhood Map 4: Places to get food

Map 5: Dangerous places

Elements to be mapped Childs home (point), school, their routes to school using different methods of transportation (lines), area the child considers to be their neighborhood (areas) Childs home (point), all the places he/she goes in the neighborhood to play and hang out (point), routes to these places using different methods of transportation (lines) Childs home (point), the homes of friends and family they visit in the neighborhood (point), routes to these places using different methods of transportation (lines) Childs home (point), all the places he/she goes to get food in the neighborhood (including grocery stores, corner stores, street vendors, etc.) (point), routes to these places using different methods of transportation (line) Childs home (point), all the places that are dangerous in the neighborhood (points or areas)

Step 3: Map preparation Aerial photographs (photos of the Earth taken from a plane or a satellite) are the best types of maps to use with young people because they allow young people to visualize their community as if they were flying over it like a bird. Basic street maps are more difficult for young people to use because they cannot see building shapes or other features like trees. Research shows that children as young as 5 are able to recognize features on an aerial photograph (such as a house or street). Aerial photographs can be obtained from a variety of sources (see Supplies on the Umap website), and should be labeled with major landmarks (such as schools and parks) and streets to help with orientation. Large, poster-size maps of aerial photographs are the most engaging for young people to use in groups of 4 or 5 (see Supplies on the Umap website for suggestions on print size). Make sure you print enough maps so you can have one per group of 4 or 5 young people. Young people make their maps using stickers and markers. Because poster-sized maps are expensive to produce, it is a good idea to purchase Acetate or Mylar (a clear sheet of plastic, such as an overhead projector sheet) to cover maps. Young people then write and place stickers on the acetate rather than the map itself, allowing you to use the map on more than one occasion (see Supplies on the Umap website for information where to obtain acetate). 1. Each map should have its own sheet of acetate 2. Secure acetate to map using Velcro or tape 3. Mark each corner of the map for alignment in the event that the acetate slips
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4. Place the first name of each young person on the map in the boundary somewhere so you know who the map represents Step 4: Develop a map legend and coding system Once the maps are printed and prepared, you are now ready to begin mapping using stickers and markers. I typically use different colored dot stickers to represent various map topics (such as green dot stickers to indicate where young people play and red dot stickers to indicate bad places). I have found different colored Sharpie markers to be best suited for drawing lines and labeling features on a map (see Supplies on the Umap website for suggestions). Provide young people with clear instructions on what they are mapping so they use the correct colored markers and dot stickers. Create a map legend to indicate what different colors and symbols represent. An example is below: Sample Map Legend Routes to School (lines drawn on map from home to school): Red marker = routes to school by automobile Blue marker = routes to school by walking Silver marker = routes to school by bicycle, skating, skateboard Black marker = routes to school by public transportation (e.g. bus, subway) Perceived neighborhood boundaries (areas drawn on map): Red marker = perceived neighborhood boundary for girl Blue marker = perceived neighborhood boundary for boy Places (dot stickers): Green dot stickers = Places to play and hang out Red dot stickers = Friends and family we know Yellow dot stickers = Places we get food Orange dot stickers = Dangerous places Blue dot sticker = Home Step 5: Getting oriented It is important to begin any Umap mapping process by ensuring that young people are oriented to the map (they understand which direction is north and can locate major features on the map). Working in groups of 4 or 5 enables young people to help each other locate items on the map, but adults should also familiarize themselves with the area being mapped to help young people locate places if they have trouble. Suggested steps include: 1. Split young people into groups of four or five, with one adult facilitator per group 2. Ask them to look at the aerial photograph and describe what they see a. Young people will be able to recognize that it is a picture of their neighborhood and will point out various aspects of the photograph (homes, roads, etc.) b. Prompt young people to find roads, alleys, homes, sidewalks, cars, parks, roads, the school, their home, etc. 3. Explain, in general terms, how the photograph was taken a. Airplane flying at 250m 1,000 feet, using special camera taking pictures, now we use satellites to take photos in some cases
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b. Young people typically relate to the photograph by stating its like a birds eye view of their neighborhood a bird flying over their house 4. Explain the purpose of the mapping exercise to learn about places important to them in their neighborhood to make changes and impact policy in the community or city 5. Ask each young person to find their home and other features they might recognize like a school or park Step 6: Mapping, labeling & data collection Once students are oriented and they understand the map legend, you can then proceed to make maps with stickers and markers. Explain how the maps will be created and labeled with young people before breaking them into groups. It is also a good idea to have an adult or youth facilitator working with each group to ensure that young people are mapping accurately and labeling features accordingly. At this point you need to decide how sophisticated the maps young people create will be in terms of the type of information/data you collect about each map point. In its simplest form, young people can place dots on maps to represent something and label it with markers using one or two words. This allows you to create a map output (a composite map of all the points mapped by each group) on a computer using basic word processing or desktop publishing software by map theme (in this example, places young people play or hang out).
Friends house

If you are interested in learning more about who mapped this point, such as whether a boy or girl mapped this point, you can slightly alter the process outlined above by assigning each young person a random map ID number, for which you can keep a log about demographic information for each map ID. In this example, #3 could refer to a girl name Sasha. You can collect other information about Sasha other than her gender, such as her racial/cultural background, age, and length of residence in a community. You can also use different colored sticker to represent gender for one theme (green = a boys play places, orange = a girls favorite places). This allows you to create a map output about places young people play or hang out by gender group or by other demographic categories using basic word processing or desktop publishing software by map theme.
Friends house

Below is a sample map of favorite places in which green stickers are boys favorite places and orange stickers are girls favorite places. This is a neighborhood map from the NYC Metropolitan Transit Authority that is about 6 feet tall and 4 feet wide; it has major landmarks and streets identified and labeled.

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If you have access to Geographic Information Software (GIS) to create map outputs, you can collect a wide range of information about young people and each point mapped by them. For example, you can document demographic data as mentioned in the previous example, but you can also collect information about the point, such as method of transportation used to get to a location (walking, automobile), how often a young person goes to a particular place, with whom, during which season, or why they like a place or consider it bad. This information can be documented in a detailed paper log by students and then entered into tables/databases in GIS so you can play around with information about each point to determine the most interesting map output.

Sample of map data:

Sample of log data:

Student Map ID 3 Place Friends house Travel Companion Mother Trans. Method Car Type of Play Play tag

Friends house

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Below is a sample of student log data about food map. Map 3: Places we get food Map all the places you buy food in the neighborhood or where you go to eat. Write down the name of the place you mapped, how you get there, who you usually go with, and what you usually buy or get at the store, restaurant or place. Student Map ID 3 3 5 7 7 7 Place 7-11 Bens corner store Church Pizza Hut McDonalds Wal-Mart Transportation Car Walk Car Car Car Car Food Gum Candy Spaghetti Pepperoni pizza Happy meal Groceries Travel Companions Friends By myself Family Family Family Family

Step 7: Asking questions about maps, taking notes The mapping process generates a lot of dialogue about the places being mapped. If you have adult or youth facilitators assigned to each group, you can use facilitators to document the conversation around what is being mapped so you can use this information to explain young peoples perspectives. For example, why are all the girls going to City Park, but no boys mentioned going there? Focus your questions on learning about opportunities and constraints to young peoples use and experience of particular places around the topic(s) of your Umap project. Suggested probes o Repeat what a young person saysso you go to the library with your friends? Do you also go there with your family? Why or why not? o No one mapped Green Park as a place they play. Why do you think that is? o Interestingokay, can you tell me more about that place? Step 8: Creating map outputs A map output is a composite map to show all the places mapped by young people on one visual. If you do not have access to GIS software, you can create simple maps using basic word processing or desktop publishing software (see Technical Information on Umap website for more information). Simple copy and paste an aerial photograph or street map into a Word document or Photoshop document to create the base for your map. Use different drawing tools and select different symbols or colors to create your map (for example, an x symbol to represent traffic or a % to represent a hazardous street crossing. Transfer student paper maps into the computer by coping information onto one map on the computer. Sample basic map output created with Microsoft Publisher:

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You need access to GIS software to make more sophisticated maps. The process for transferring data from paper maps into this software program is more complex. GIS software relies upon databases to create its maps. A database is a set of columns representing a particular variable (such as gender, or method of transportation), and a set of rows containing the actual data (female, automobile). Each row of data in a GIS database must have a geographic coordinate (latitude, longitude, street address) in order for a feature to be mapped. The process of transferring student data into a GIS environment is call digitizing. It is highly recommended you work with a professional geographer or planner who understands how databases are constructed in GIS. Without going into great detail about the steps in digitizing, first, enter all information in student logs using Microsoft Excel or a similar database software program. Second, create a similar database in Excel containing all information about student demographics according to their map ID. Third, using the editor tool in Arc Map, digitize using points, lines and polygons, and create new feature classes in the database, such as a Point ID, student mapping ID and place name. The creation of a Point ID, or a unique number for each point mapped by students, enables the joining of spatial data from student paper maps with non-spatial data collected in student logs so you can manipulate information in different ways. Below is a sample map output using GIS software. Note: This map shows the places
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children get food by the transportation variable from the student logs. The map also shows the location of student homes. GIS allows you to calculate distance from home to places walked versus places traveled to by car, among other more sophisticated data manipulation techniques.

Each map output should contain the following elements: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. A map title (describing what the map represents) A map legend (to indicate what symbols and colors on the map represent) A scale (to indicate the size of the geographic territory being examined) Data sources (to indicate where the information was obtained and when) A north arrow (for orientation purposes)

Step 9: Spatial analysis In order to move towards taking action around the map outputs, it is important to share composite maps back with young people so they can see the results. Many young people and adults will benefit in a training on how to analyze information from a spatial perspective. Spatial analysis is a term that refers to the way in which information is distributed, concentrated and clustered, and how those patterns relate to other features of the built or social environment. At this phase of the Umap project it is important to have basic map reading skills, and to understand the role of cartography in shaping the way individuals read and interpret the
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stories being told on maps. Consult the Umap website to obtain a PowerPoint presentation that provides a basic understanding of maps, map reading and interpretation, and spatial analysis.

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Supporting methods ________________________________________________

Umap projects can incorporate a range of other methods or techniques to help young people document their communities from their perspective and to support the identification of map topics. The following methods have been field-tested and are easily incorporated into a school curriculum or youth workshop. Please visit the Umap Resources page to download templates for some of these methods. Photography Give young people disposable cameras or use digital cameras to enable young people to visually document their favorite places or places that need to be improved. Ask young people to keep logs of the pictures they take, e.g., who is in the picture, what place the picture shows and why they took specific pictures. Photos can be developed onto CD-ROMS and used to create map layouts, posters, guidebooks and atlases. Diaries Ask young people to keep diaries of their daily activities and travel behaviors, to write essays about their community, to log how much television they watch or how much time the spend playing outside. Diaries are useful for getting information typically collect on surveys and allow you to make statistical summaries about young peoples behaviors using programs like Microsoft Excel. Summaries can be made into visuals like pie charts or bar graphs. Mental maps Ask young people to draw an image or map of their community using a blank sheet of paper and markers. I typically use mental maps in the beginning of a Umap project to get to know young people, build relationships, and to understand some of the most important issues facing them in their communities. Neighborhood walks Ask young people to take you on a tour of favorite places or places that need improving in their community. Ask them to tell you stories about programs or people important to them in the neighborhood. Examine where young people take you and why these places are meaningful in their lives. Neighborhood walks are a great way to build relationships with young people in a way that considers them as experts of their community.

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Developing an action plan _______________________________________________

Upon completion of a Umap project, you may have a range of different map outputs, community guidebooks, photo exhibitions or other information. It is important to use all the information generated from a Umap project to help young people arrive at an action plan to affect change in their community or city. Once young people determine a list of priorities of topics they would like to address in their community, there is a range of different ways of conveying that information to decision-makers. An action plan should contain a list of young peoples priorities for change, a strategy or series of strategies for sharing this information with decision-makers, a timeline for the action plan, and parties responsible for specific tasks. The most common methods for sharing Umap project results with decision-makers are listed below. Adults must help young people champion their efforts to affect change by helping them determine who should be targeted (a city planner or community activist), and getting young people to the table of those groups. Presentations Young people can create PowerPoint presentations with their maps, photographs and other supporting information. Presentations can target public officials, other young people in the community, parents, schoolteachers or the mayor of a city. Neighborhood guidebooks or atlases Young people can create guidebooks for their communities that showcase their Umap project results. Atlases and guidebooks are useful for other young people to learn about a place, for community members that want to support the recommendations of youth to affect change, and for parents to see what their children are doing in the community. Public meetings Young people can share maps with neighborhood civic associations or via a more formal city council meeting. The goal of public meetings is to share information with decision-makers in a way that becomes official record. Young people should be trained on how to present at city council meetings, which typically only allow 3 minutes of commentary about a topic. It may be more appropriate to share information in a sub-committee meeting of city council where young people would be given more time to share their ideas. Youth councils/commissions Young people can share their findings with a mayors youth commission, youth councils and advisory boards. In this way, if a youth commission or council is asked to provide youth input on an issue, they can Umap data to support their justification or stance on a particular issue. Media releases Young people can share their maps with local newspapers and other media outlets. The goal of a media release is to share Umap projects with a larger audience to affect change.

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Supplies ________________________________________________
MAPPING SUPPLIES Item: Paper Maps Description: Paper maps are used to conduct mapping exercises with children and youth. Any maps can be used for a Umap project, such as street, subway, and parcel maps found in your local city Planning Department. However, the most legible and readable maps for children and youth are aerial photographs, labeled with streets and major landmarks (such as schools, churches, and parks). Research shows that children as young as 5 years old are able to recognize features (such as houses and trees) on aerial photographs. Young people are easily able to think of themselves as a bird flying over their neighborhood to understand the perspective of an aerial photograph. Whatever map is chosen for a Umap project should be tested with children and youth first to make sure they can read, navigate and locate items important to them. Because most Umap projects are done in small groups, maps should be large (48x72 or something close to that). Maps should cover a small geographic territory (approximately 1-2 miles squared). The scale and boundaries of the map you select to use should be based on neighborhood boundaries or zones around a school. Maps that cover larger geographic territories (such as a city) may be useful for working with older youth who have greater mobility. Make sure you have enough map posters for each group. It is usually a good idea to have maps laminated so they do not rip through use. Supplier: Aerial photographs and other maps can be obtained from a variety of different suppliers, including your citys Planning Department, Google Earth, and other online resources such as Terra Server. Estimated cost: Cost is usually based on the market rate for printing a poster-sized image from a digital file through a company like Kinkos. Terra Server charges a fee for the purchase of the digital file of an aerial photograph at a very high resolution or quality. Google Earth does not charge a fee for saving and using an aerial photograph, but the resolution is typically not high enough to print out a poster size image. The most cost effective method for obtaining a high quality printed map or aerial photograph is to contact your citys Planning Department. If you are conducting a Umap project as part of an educational or community-based effort, Planning Departments will often wave any fees for their services. In addition, Planning Departments can make sure that streets and major landmarks are labeled. _____________________________________________________________________ Item: Stickers Description: Dot or circle stickers are used to map specific point locations about different topics on an aerial photograph. Different colored stickers can be used to represent different map themes, such as red stickers for bad or dangerous places, green stickers for places we play and hang out, and yellow stickers to indicate places we get food. The size of stickers should be proportionate to the map scale so that if a student places a sticker on a house, the sticker only covers the house and not surrounding buildings, streets or other feature on the map. On a 48x72 map poster

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covering a 2-mile radius of a geographic territory, I typically use dot stickers. If you want young people to write on the stickers themselves as way of labeling a map feature then dot stickers may work better. Feel free to be creative with your sticker choices dots, smiley faces, frown faces, arrows, stars and other shapes are readily available. Make sure you have enough dots to allow each student to map up to 10 locations for each map category. Supplier: Stickers can be obtained from an office or educational supplier, such as Staples or Office Depot. Estimated cost: $5-10 per pack ______________________________________________________________________ Item: Markers Description: Markers are used to map routes or areas about different topics on an aerial photograph. Different colored markers can be used to represent different map themes, such as red markers for routes to school by automobile, blue markers for routes to school by walking, or green markers to draw the area I consider to be my neighborhood. Sharpie markers are the most effective for drawing on an aerial photograph because the marker leaves a thick line that is visible. Make sure you have enough markers to give each map group a set. Supplier: Markers can be obtained from an office or educational supplier, such as Staples or Office Depot. Estimated cost: $7-10 per pack ______________________________________________________________________ Item: Acetate/Mylar Description: Because large poster maps are expensive to produce, you may want to consider obtaining acetate or Mylar (a clear plastic sheet of paper, such as an overhead projector sheet) to fit over your maps. If you cover your maps with acetate, you can reuse the aerial photographs again and again without damaging the original map. Student then map on top of the sheet of acetate, placing stickers and writing with markers on the acetate instead of the map itself. Supplier: Rolls or individual large sized sheets of acetate or Mylar can be obtain from art supply stores or stores that cater to architects/engineers. Estimated cost: The cost of acetate varies. It is usually cheaper to buy a role of acetate (about $25-50), as opposed to purchasing individual 4x5 sheets of acetate (which run about $3 per sheet). The advantage of purchasing sheets is that you dont have to cut individual squares from a roll of acetate, which can take time. ______________________________________________________________________ Item: Velcro Description: Velcro is useful for securing sheets of acetate or Mylar to map posters, or for hanging map posters on a wall.

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Supplier: Rolls or individual, pre-cut square of Velcro are readily available can be obtained from an office or educational supplier, such as Staples or Office Depot. Estimated cost: $5-10 per package or roll ______________________________________________________________________ OTHER SUPPLIES Item: Disposable Cameras Description: Disposable cameras are a useful way to obtain images from young people about the places the map as part of a Umap project. Disposable cameras allow each individual young person to take anywhere from 25-35 photos, which can be developed into prints and saved digitally on a CD-Rom. I have found that disposable cameras with built-in flashes provide higher quality photos than cameras geared towards the outdoors. Supplier: Disposable cameras are readily available can be obtained from an office or educational supplier, such as Staples or Office Depot. Estimated cost: $5-10 per camera ______________________________________________________________________

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Technical Information ________________________________________________

This section describes the software and technology typically used to create maps, guidebooks, and atlases. A variety of different software companies offer incentives for K12 teachers and community groups to buy and use their software. Some even include technical support as part of their package. In addition, many young people are familiar with the software listed below and can help do a lot of the work. Almost all of these software packages are compatible with PC or Macintosh computers. Word Processing Virtually all computers have some version of word processing software. You can use word processing software to type text-based information, such as the students essays about their neighborhood. In addition, most word processing software allows you to create tables and draw simple objects using drawing tools. Microsoft Word Word Perfect Statistical Software There are a variety of statistical software packages that enable you to create bar charts or pie charts. These are useful in the creation of graphs depicting quantitative information youth provide, such as the television programs students watch the most, how many students own computers, or how many languages they speak. When the students have created simple tallies of this information as a class or youth group, they can then enter the information in a table to produce cool bar charts and pie graphs. Microsoft Excel SPSS Desktop Publishing Software Desktop publishing software allows you to create layouts for a newsletter, a poster, a menu, or an atlas. Many of the packages come with templates, or pre-designed layouts of newsletters, that lend themselves to the layout of an atlas or guidebook. It is very easy to use these layouts to create titles, headings, and insert pictures. Microsoft Publisher Adobe Pagemaker & Photoshop Quark Express Scanners and Scanning Software Scanners are very accessible to even the most inexperienced computer user. They are often quite inexpensive ranging from $50 to $100. Any of the major computer supply stores will have scanners readily available. Most major printer companies, such as Cannon or Hewlett Packard, also produce scanners. If you purchase a scanner, you can take student drawings and make them digital. You can also take photographs and make them digital. Making drawings and photographs digital enables you to place images into an atlas or guidebook in a way that allows you to adjust their size and quality. When you purchase a scanner, the software needed to run the scanner comes with it as one

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package. Alternatively, you can purchase Adobe Photoshop, software that allows you to scan and alter images. Cannon Scanners Hewlett Packard Scanners Geographic Information Systems (GIS) If your school or community group can afford to purchase a GIS software package, you can create rather sophisticated digital maps with the support of university and professional geographers or city planners. GIS allows you to create detailed street maps and sophisticated layouts. The power of GIS is its ability to layer different types of information for a defined area, such as a neighborhood. For example, GIS allows you to select a street layer, a layer showing the location of all the graffiti identified by youth, and a layer of reported crime from the police department. When you put all the layers together, you can then visually see if there is any correlation between the locations of youth identified graffiti and reported crime. Many GIS companies provide Internet-based technical assistance, and others provide K-12 workshops for teachers. MapInfo ArcView

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