FAQ
How to create a "short url" when submitting your Story Map and your Story Map Details page.
You may use bitly (https://bitly.com/) to create a short url.
Use your web browser to navigate to https://bitly.com/.
Paste the URL to your Story Map or Story Map Details into the white box and it will produce a short url that automatically includes arcg.is. Use the short url that contains arcg.is when submitting your Story Map and Story Map Details.
What personally identifiable information (PII) will be collected about students who participate in the mapping contest?
Parent/guardian permission is required to host student PII on websites associated with this contest. (Permission Form)
The state will provide ESRI with the first name, last name, and school for the authors of the top middle school and high school teams. The other four students in each division will be identified by their school name.
Students are not eligible for the national competition if they do not provide their first and last name.
ESRI will produce an online, interactive map that contains the following information:
One layer of the map will contain the top middle and high school awardees from the nation including their first name, last name, and school and links to their maps
One layer of the map will contain the top middle and high school awardees from each state including their first name, last name, and school and links to their maps
One layer of the map will contain the other middle and high school awardees with a school name and links to their maps.
One layer of the map will contain the locations of all schools who participate in the event
One layer of the map will contain the states that participated in the event
Teachers and schools are encouraged to review the ArcGIS Online Organizations for K12 Schools document, especially pages 23-end, to learn strategies to reduce the use of PII
The Tennessee Geographic Alliance will release a post-event press release providing the same information available from the ESRI website.
Enable viewing of your map from outside of your school's ArcGIS Online Organizational Account.
Ask the administrator of the school's ArcGIS Online organizational account to make sure that the accounts are set to "Allow Anonymous Access".
Students and their teachers should confirm that their data and Story Maps are made public using the Share -> Public checkbox. You can confirm your maps are public by using your web browser's private/incognito mode and opening a link to the map.
Entries engaging "premium data" (login required, such as premium content from Living Atlas) must set the display to permit access without needing a login. See helpful note.
What is a geomentor and what is early mentoring?
A geomentor is a professional with GIS and visualization experience who has specifically volunteered to support teachers and students interested in learning more about GIS. A geomentor can answer GIS project and mapping questions related to finding data, visualizing data, and suitable questions to answer with data. Geomentors will also provide early feedback to your students' story maps so students can learn through an iterative process.