Community Mapping

CORE ACTIVITY: Create Your Own Map (20 minutes)

Materials: Blank paper, writing or drawing materials

• Create small groups of 3-4 people (if your group is small, then this activity can be done individually). Preferably, participants should be divided according to their neighborhoods, the places with which they most identify, or where they spend the most time. Give a large piece of butcher paper to each group.
• Ask participants to draw a picture of their community according to the criteria below.
  • What are the boundaries of your neighborhood – where does it begin and end? What markers tell you when you are entering or leaving this neighborhood?
  • Draw this area to the best of your memory. Add in streets, particular houses, stores, businesses, parks, restaurants, landscapes, and other physical features.
  • Draw at least three neighborhood assets (these are positive things or strengths).
  • Draw at least three neighborhood issues ( problems that you would like to change). Encourage students to think about what really bugs them, or if they could change something, what would they change?
• Have each group share their map with the larger group. Note differences and similarities between the maps and the neighborhoods. Ask what participants think might account for the differences and similarities in what the different groups included.
• On a piece of butcher paper, make a list of assets and issues compiled from the group.