Sessions
BREAKOUT SESSION #1 (MONDAY EARLY AFTERNOON)
Tour of Google Earth Pro
Trainer: Christiaan
Learn about the advanced features of Google Earth Pro, such as importing and visualizing GIS datasets (vector & raster), animating GPS data, creating and generating movies of tours and more. The session will also touch on the basics of KML coding for advanced visualization and content creation, and may be adjusted based on the interests of the attendees.
- Prerequisites: Previous experience using Google Earth preferred.
- Suggested tools and software: Google Earth Pro for Desktop (download here), and possibly a text editor for programmers (Notepad++, TextEdit, etc.) if you want to try KML coding.
Introduction to Remote Sensing (R)
Trainer: Allie
Earth Engine is Google's geo analysis platform. This session introduces the concept of remote sensing and image analysis relatively quickly, and then goes into the Earth Engine platform and the tools available for browsing Earth Engine's data catalog and performing analyses on the data. This session is intended for first-time users of Earth Engine and newcomers to remote sensing, but with some experience in GIS. In this session, we will review temperature, precipitation and vegetation datasets available in Earth Engine, and run some basic scripts to change the visualization parameters and calculate summary statistics.
- Prerequisites: Absolutely none, but some experience with geospatial analysis in preferred.
- Suggested tools and software: Please signup for Earth Engine with a Gmail or Google account at earthengine.google.com/signup
Getting Started with the Earth Engine API, part 1 (R)
Trainer: Thau
The Earth Engine API (application programming interface) provides the ability to create your own algorithms to process raster and vector imagery. This session is geared toward people who would like to analyze satellite and vector data. The session will be hands-on, using the Earth Engine Javascript code editor. This part of the class will focus on accessing imagery, creating composites, and running analyses over stacks of images.
- Prerequisites: Familiarity with at least one software language, or at least not be afraid of learning as we go.
- Suggested tools and software: Sign up for Earth Engine at https://earthengine.google.com/signup
GPS + Geotagged Photos (R)
Trainer: Karin
A lot of nonprofit groups take photos in the field, or want to track their hikes, treks, and work outside. This session will give hands-on training of a few great tools for creating maps of GPS tracks and GPS-tagged photos. We won't get into field surveys with forms (that's the ODK sessions), but you’ll learn a few simple tools for tracking your location in the field, collecting photographs, and then putting them on a map.
- Prerequisites: None, but we encourage you to take this online tutorial.
- Suggested tools and software: Google Photos installed on your phone (iOS, Android)
Basic Survey of Google Mapping Tools
Trainer: Raleigh
This session will be a hands-on introductory survey of all of Google’s simple mapping tools: Google My Maps, Google Earth Pro for Desktop, Fusion Tables, and Google Tour Builder. It's intended for participants who don't have a lot of experience with our tools yet, and want a jumpstart on Summit Day #1. While it's intended for beginners, it will move relatively quickly due to time constraints, but you'll leave with a basic understanding of all the simple mapping tools we offer.
- Prerequisites: None, but we encourage you to take the following online tutorials…
- Suggested tools and software:
BREAKOUT SESSION #2 (MONDAY LATE AFTERNOON)
Google Earth: Ask the Experts
Trainers: Sean and Christiaan
Get your toughest questions about Keyhole Markup Language (KML) answered by the experts, who will also walk you through some of the most advanced KMLs of all time.
- Prerequisites: Experience with KML is encouraged, in order for you to follow along.
- Suggested tools and software: None required. Google Earth Pro and a text editor for programmers (Notepad++, TextEdit, etc.) could be handy if you want to follow along in the code.
Introduction to Remote Sensing (R)
Trainer: Allie
Earth Engine is Google's geo analysis platform. This session introduces the concept of remote sensing and image analysis relatively quickly, and then goes into the Earth Engine platform and the tools available for browsing Earth Engine's data catalog and performing analyses on the data. This session is intended for first-time users of Earth Engine and newcomers to remote sensing, but with some experience in GIS. In this session, we will review temperature, precipitation and vegetation datasets available in Earth Engine, and run some basic scripts to change the visualization parameters and calculate summary statistics.
- Prerequisites: Absolutely none, but some experience with geospatial analysis in preferred.
- Suggested tools and software: Please signup for Earth Engine with a Gmail or Google account at earthengine.google.com/signup
Getting Started with the Earth Engine API, part 2 (R)
Trainer: Thau
This is part two of the Getting Started with the Earth Engine API class. This part of the class will continue where part 1 left off, focusing on computing statistics on imagery, creating charts, exporting the results of your analyses.
- Prerequisites: Getting Started with the Earth Engine API, part 1
Getting started with Open Data Kit for collecting field data (R)
Trainer: Brian
Open Data Kit is a set of tools that allows you to collect field data, such as text, photos/videos, and GPS location from an Android device even where there's no internet connection and publish it to the web when you're back online. We will walk through existing use cases, go into the field for a fun collect, and then map and visualize the group’s project in a Google Spreadsheet.
- Prerequisites: None
- Suggested tools and software: Android phone (we’ll have extras) & Google Spreadsheets
My Maps Partner Panel
Brian Thom, University of Victoria Ethnographic Mapping Lab (Panelist)
Madhu Madhusudan, Nature Conservation Foundation
Cynthia Annett (Panelist)
Raleigh (Facilitator)
In this session, we’ll learn about Google My Maps and how organizations are using it to solve real-world problems from visualizing challenges to Indigenous territoriality to creating a bird atlas of Mysore City to making it easier for government agencies to consult tribes when a new project is being proposed that might impact tribal land claims. The session will focus on why the organizations choose My Maps, how they implemented the tool, who is using it and lessons learned.
- Prerequisites: None
- Suggested tools and software: None
BREAKOUT SESSION #3 (TUESDAY MORNING)
New Google Earth & Storytelling (R)
Trainers: Vanessa Schneider and Tony Weber
The launch of the new Google Earth introduced a new way of storytelling with Voyager, an in-app showcase of compelling stories, data and maps. Hear from Voyager partners and developers as they share case studies and best practices for building Earth stories, and learn about ways for you to start telling your own map-based stories.
- Prerequisites: None.
- Suggested tools and software: A Google account.
- Have an idea for Voyager? Send us a pitch: http://bit.ly/g4g17voyager
Getting Started with the Earth Engine API, part 1 (R)
Trainer: Thau
The Earth Engine API (application programming interface) provides the ability to create your own algorithms to process raster and vector imagery. This session is geared toward people who would like to analyze satellite and vector data. The session will be hands-on, using the Earth Engine Javascript code editor. This part of the class will focus on accessing imagery, creating composites, and running analyses over stacks of images.
- Prerequisites: Familiarity with at least one software language, or at least not be afraid of learning as we go.
- Suggested tools and software: Sign up for Earth Engine at https://earthengine.google.com/signup
Earth Engine API 201
Trainer: Nick
This is a hands on workshop covering topics such as classification, phenology modeling, terrain visualization, and spectral unmixing. Concepts include arrays, charts, computing statistics in regions, and spectral transformations.
- Prerequisites: Intermediate programming with the Earth Engine API. Familiarity with map() and reduce(). Knowledge of remote sensing.
- Suggested tools and software: Earth Engine
Taking Open Data Kit (ODK) further with custom forms
Trainer: Tanya
Learn about the types of survey forms that you can create for mobile data collection projects using a simple online tool called ODK Build, as well as using a more flexible XLSforms format.
- Prerequisites: Basic working knowledge of ODK or the Getting Started with ODK class.
- Suggested tools and software: Open Data Kit from Google Play, Google Sheets
BREAKOUT SESSION #4 (TUESDAY AFTERNOON)
New Google Earth & Storytelling (R)
Trainers: Vanessa Schneider and Tony Weber
The launch of the new Google Earth introduced a new way of storytelling with Voyager, an in-app showcase of compelling stories, data and maps. Hear from Voyager partners and developers as they share case studies and best practices for building Earth stories, and learn about ways for you to start telling your own map-based stories.
- Prerequisites: None.
- Suggested tools and software: A Google account.
Getting Started with the Earth Engine API, part 2 (R)
Trainer: Thau
This is part two of the Getting Started class. This part of the class will continue where part 1 left off, focusing on computing statistics on imagery, creating charts, exporting the results of your analyses.
- Prerequisites: Getting Started with the Earth Engine API, part 1
Web Applications with the Earth Engine Python API & Google App Engine
Trainer: Tyler
Learn how to build and deploy Earth Engine powered applications to Google App Engine. Featuring the Google Cloud SDK, Maps API and the Earth Engine Python API.
- Prerequisites: Getting Started with the Earth Engine API (part 1 & 2), or prior experience in using Earth Engine.
- Suggested tools and software: a laptop with Google Chrome installed.
GPS & Geotagged Photos (R)
Trainer: Karin
A lot of nonprofit groups take photos in the field, or want to track their hikes, treks, and work outside. This session will give hands-on training of a few great tools for creating maps of GPS tracks and GPS-tagged photos. We won't get into field surveys with forms (that's the ODK sessions), but you’ll learn a few simple tools for tracking your location in the field, collecting photographs, and then putting them on a map.
- Prerequisites: None, but we encourage you to take this online tutorial.
- Suggested tools and software: Google Photos installed on your phone (iOS, Android)
Mobile Data Collection Partner Panel
Alta de Vos, Rhodes University
Shiva Subramanya S, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment
Lilian Pintea, the Jane Goodall Institute
Charles Marc Wanume, Grameen Foundation
Tanya (Facilitator)
In this session, we’ll learn about Open Data Kit and how organizations are using it to solve real-world problems from socio-economic surveys to setting up a citizen-technician monitoring system in rural South Africa to invasive species mapping to monitoring chimpanzee habitats to sharing agricultural information from smallholder farmers. The session will focus on why the organizations choose Open Data Kit for their mobile data collection projects, how they implemented the tool, who is using it and lessons learned.
- Prerequisites: None
- Suggested tools and software: None
BREAKOUT SESSION #5 (WEDNESDAY MORNING)
Collecting your own Street View (R)
Trainers: Karin and Steve
Google Street View in Maps, Earth and App, provides access to over seven million miles of interactive 360-degree panoramas captured in over 75 countries, across all seven continents and in the world’s oceans. Learn how to explore this imagery and how to add your own images to the Street View archive using 360 cameras.
- Prerequisites: None
- Suggested tools and software: Street View app installed if you wish to use own device (Android or iOS)
From Analysis to Impact
Trainer: Chris
This session will discuss approaches and tools for communicating, sharing, and visualizing your geospatial analyses for real-world impact. We will look at the full suite of Google geo tools, including Google Earth, Google Maps (APIs), Street View, and Earth Engine. We'll explore options for visualizing data from Earth Engine and otherwise, chat about license and distribution considerations when sharing scientific datasets with the public, and survey creative ways to tell your story and communicate your message on the rich backdrop of imagery and other geo data.
- Prerequisites: None.
- Suggested tools and software: None
Earth Engine API: Time Series
Trainer: Nick
This session will cover time series topics including linear modeling, auto-correlation, cross-correlation, auto-regression, smoothing and iteration.
- Prerequisites: Intermediate to advanced programming with the Earth Engine API.
Getting started with Open Data Kit for collecting field data (R)
Trainer: Brian
Open Data Kit is a set of tools that allows you to collect field data, such as text, photos/videos, and GPS location from an Android device even where there's no internet connection and publish it to the web when you're back online. We will walk through existing use cases, go into the field for a fun collect, and then map and visualize the group’s project in a Google Spreadsheet.
- Prerequisites: None
- Suggested tools and software: Android phone (we’ll have extras) & Google Spreadsheets
Earth Pro Partner Panel
Steve Deroy, The Firelight Group
Melissa Hanham, James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies
Jesse Hamlin, The HALO Trust
Raleigh (Facilitator)
In this session, we’ll learn about Google Earth Pro and how organizations are using it to solve real-world problems from conducting traditional land use studies to preventing the spread of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons to mapping minefields in conflict-affected communities. The session will focus on why the organizations choose Google Earth Pro for their projects, how they implemented the tool, who is using it and lessons learned.
- Prerequisites: None
- Suggested tools and software: None
BREAKOUT SESSION #6 (WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON)
Collecting your own Street View (R)
Trainers: Karin and Steve
Google Street View in Maps, Earth and App, provides access to over seven million miles of interactive 360-degree panoramas captured in over 75 countries, across all seven continents and in the world’s oceans. Learn how to explore this imagery and how to add your own images to the Street View archive using 360 cameras.
- Prerequisites: None
- Suggested tools and software: Street View app installed if you wish to use own device (Android or iOS)
Earth Engine API: Vectors & tables
Trainer: Nick
This class will cover how to load, manipulate, display and analyze vector and tabular data in Earth Engine. Learn how to structure efficient queries, filters and algorithms for Feature Collections.
- Prerequisites: Intermediate programming with the Earth Engine API.
Training your Earth Engine Classification
Trainer: Tanya
This course is for those of you who wish to import field data into Google Earth Engine. We’ll walk through all the steps necessary, from using land cover classification data gathered in the field, importing into Fusion Tables and doing a basic classification in Earth Engine of different land cover types.
- Prerequisites: Getting Started with Open Data Kit or equivalent ODK experience
- Suggested tools and software: Open Data Kit from Google Play, Fusion Tables
Introduction to Earth Studio (R)
Trainers: Mike & Patrik
Google Earth has a massive store of 2D and 3D Earth data from large-scale geological features to individual city buildings. The imagery is constantly improving with whole new cities of 3D data being added regularly. Earth Studio is the easiest way to leverage this imagery for still and animated content.
- Prerequisites: Prior knowledge of keyframe animation a plus but not mandatory
- Suggested tools and software: Google account (or Gmail), Google Chrome, Adobe After Effects (not mandatory)
BREAKOUT SESSION #7 (THURSDAY MORNING)
Diving into KML Coding
Trainers: Christiaan
In this class we will learn about the the basic structures of KML, and how to customize or construct your own KML content for visualization and storytelling in Google Earth. It will be most useful for people who have created some KML files through the drawing tools in Earth & Maps, or by converting geo datasets into KML, and who want to take their KML development to the next level.
- Prerequisites: Basic familiarity with Google Earth, KML and geographic data.
- Suggested tools and software: Required software includes Google Earth Pro for desktop, and a text editor for programmers (we recommend Notepad++ on Windows and TextEdit or TextMate on Mac).
Earth Engine: API Tour
Trainer: Nick
A tour of Reducers, Charts, Joins and Arrays (not hands on).
- Prerequisites: EE 101
- Suggested tools and software: None
Earth Engine API: Classification
Trainer: Noel
An explanation of how the Earth Engine classifier system works, simple and advanced examples of how to use it, and tips on getting the most out of it.
- Prerequisites: Google Earth Engine 101 or equivalent prior experience.
Going advanced with Open Data Kit
Trainer: Tanya
In this session, you’ll walk away with the knowledge you need to create your own field data collection project using Open Data Kit and Google Sheets. We will take what was taught in the Getting Started with ODK course and learn how to customize that for your data collection project. This course assumes you have some basic ODK experience.
- Prerequisites: Getting Started with Open Data Kit or equivalent ODK experience
- Suggested tools and software: Open Data Kit from Google Play
How to Engage Youth & Classrooms Partner Panel
Duane Wilkins, Land Information NZ
Stephanie Keller, the Jane Goodall Institute
Padmaja Sathyamoorthy, India Literacy Project
Emily (Facilitator)
In this session, we’ll learn how organizations are using Google mapping tools to engage youth & classrooms from creating social sciences curriculum to community mapping with young leaders to engaging 4,000 students across NZ to understand geospatial concepts. The session will focus on why the organizations choose specific mapping tools for their projects, how they implemented the tools, who is using it and lessons learned.
- Prerequisites: None
- Suggested tools and software: None
BREAKOUT SESSION #8 (THURSDAY AFTERNOON)
Google Maps API Challenges
Trainer: Jordon
Sharpen your Javascript and Maps API coding skills through a series of coding challenges using the Google Maps Javascript API. This course starts with some basics of Javascript and Maps API and quickly delves into more advanced parts of the API including Geocoding, Places, DataLayer and ElevationService. Writing code is big part of this course.
- Prerequisites: Laptop, web browser (Chrome or Firefox recommended), some knowledge of Javascript (Maps API experience a plus), a Google account
- Suggested tools and software: none
Earth Engine API: Debugging
Trainer: Noel
Techniques to help you debug your Earth Engine scripts, and for when that fails, suggestions on how you can help us help you.
- Prerequisites: Google Earth Engine 101 or equivalent prior experience.
- Suggested tools and software: None
Earth Engine & Cloud Computing
Trainer: Matt
Learn how to use Earth Engine together with other products in the Google Cloud Platform. This talk will introduce you to a variety of Cloud Platform services, including Cloud Storage for managing and serving data, Compute Engine and Dataflow for running computations, and Pub/Sub for building real-time analysis applications. Then we'll show you how you can seamlessly use these systems together with Earth Engine to build powerful geo data processing applications in the cloud.
- Prerequisites: This class is aimed at experienced Earth Engine users who have a general familiarity with cloud computing concepts, but no prior experience with Google Cloud Platform is assumed.
- Suggested tools and software:
Introduction to Earth Studio (R)
Trainers: Mike & Patrik
Google Earth has a massive store of 2D and 3D Earth data from large-scale geological features to individual city buildings. The imagery is constantly improving with whole new cities of 3D data being added regularly. Earth Studio is the easiest way to leverage this imagery for still and animated content.
- Prerequisites: Prior knowledge of keyframe animation a plus but not mandatory
- Suggested tools and software: Google account (or Gmail), Google Chrome, Adobe After Effects (not mandatory)
Non-Geo Tools for nonprofits
Trainers: Meredith Stechbart and Karin Tuxen-Bettman
Learn about other Google tools that help nonprofits fundraise more easily, collaborate more efficiently, and share their stories with a wider audience.