ARKANSAS ARCGIS ONLINE MAP CONTEST

Support provided by Esri, the Arkansas Geographic Alliance, and EAST Initiative.

What: Mapping contest using online GIS

When: Contest runs throughout the 2023-2024 school year. 

Submissions Due: Wednesday, May 1 EXTENDED TO FRIDAY, MAY 3 - Schools must submit the required information in the provided spreadsheet by 5pm on this date. Individual students may not submit entries independently.

Awards Announced: Monday, May 13 - State judges will notify students and teachers of the final decisions no later than this date.

Eligibility: All elementary, middle, or high school-aged students in Arkansas are eligible to participate. This includes public, private, or home-schooled students. Maps may be submitted by individual students or teams of up to two students. Limit of one entry per student or team; each school is limited to five total entries.

Contest Parameters: Maps must be an original Story Map of each student or team and focus on an Arkansas-based theme. Maps may address issues that span the entire state or highlight individual counties, cities, or towns.

Mentorship Opportunities: Classroom instructors that pre-register (link found here) will be eligible for virtual mentorship sessions with their classes. These sessions will meet at times determined in consultation with each instructor.

Using ArcGIS Online: All submitted maps must be created using ArcGIS Online. The final product should be submitted as an ArcGIS Online Story Map (new version).

ArcGIS Online is available free of charge from Esri for use in K-12 classrooms across the United States. See https://www.esri.com/en-us/industries/education/schools/schools-mapping-software-bundle for more information.

Prizes: The top five maps in each grade band (elementary/middle school or high school) will be awarded $100. For the sake of this contest, the elementary/middle school category will encompass 4th-8th grades; high school will be 9th-12th. Final awards will be distributed through classroom teachers; a limit of two awards per classroom is in effect, dependent on the number of total submissions.

The top project from each grade band in the state contest will be submitted as Arkansas's entries to a national competition supported by Esri. Two national winners selected from amongst all state winners will have the opportunity to present their work as part of an Esri Education online webinar.

Arkansas map from the Arkansas Department of Tourism

Contest modeled after Minnesota ArcGIS Contest

Please direct questions about the contest to Stephen O'Connell, via the Arkansas Geographic Alliance, at ARGeoAlliance@gmail.com.