High school students and teachers are at McMaster today, learning about geographic information systems that can help solve world environment and health problems or assist in powering up automated teller machines.

Hosted by McMaster's School of Geography & Geology GIS laboratory and Westdale High School, the fifth annual GIS Day takes place in the Burke Science Building, Rm. 147 and in the second floor computer labs.

GIS Day is a global event, which showcases GIS (geographic information systems) and provides an opportunity for people to see its applications in action. GIS is part of the Ontario geography curriculum and Geomatics is part of the Grade 11 geography curriculum. There will be an information session that will highlight GIS careers and applications, followed by hands-on GIS workshops for students. A GIS poster competition for local area high school students will be displayed in BSB-330A.
GIS is a computer-based tool for mapping and analyzing objects and events. It combines the power of a database with the visualization capabilities offered by maps. GIS technology is used throughout the world to solve problems in areas like environmental protection, health care, land use, business efficiency, education and social inequities. It is helps energy providers ensure a continuous power supply and health officials keep regions disease free. The technology is also used in the use of automated teller machines, pulling a map off the internet or receiving an overnight delivery or stop at a fast food restaurant.

GIS Day is sponsored by the National Geographic Society, the Association of American Geographers, University Consortium for Geographic Information Science, the United States Geological Survey, The Library of Congress, Sun Microsystems, Hewlett-Packard, and ESRI.