BATON ROUGE, LA — September 6, 2018 — Today, Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome announced that pre-registration is now open for the fourth annual International GIS Day event in Baton Rouge. All middle and high school educators, students, and Baton Rouge residents are encouraged to participate in the educational event focused on geographic information systems, technology, and career opportunities. Educators interested in participating and coordinating field trips around 2018 GIS Day Baton Rouge, scheduled for November 14 at the Main Library on Goodwood Boulevard, should pre-register online at gisdaylouisiana.com.

“In a world and economy where progress is driven by technology, acquiring knowledge of computers and technological applications is vital for people of all ages,” said Mayor Broome. “Geographic Information Systems continue to expand into new application areas, and GIS Day Baton Rouge offers a great opportunity for students across Baton Rouge to learn more about this technology.”

Last year, 200 people attended GIS Day – many of whom were students or student groups – to participate in hands-on educational activities led by industry professionals and listen to speakers present their work that would not be possible without this integrating technology.

This year’s day-long program will feature three educational activities for the students which will begin at 8:30 a.m. and run until 1:00 p.m. The learning activities will provide students from East Baton Rouge Parish schools and other organizations with an opportunity to engage in hands-on computer and outdoor activities while learning about mapping in a fun-filled, educational environment. Educators and teachers interested in planning field trips for this event should contact the GIS Day Baton Rouge organizers soon; space is limited.

The second event of the day, scheduled from 4 to 6 p.m., is free to attend and open to adults of all ages and backgrounds. Speakers will focus on GIS and various applications of this technology.

International GIS Day events in Baton Rouge are organized and provided to residents at no charge by the City of Baton Rouge – Parish of East Baton Rouge, the East Baton Rouge Parish Library, the Louisiana Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System (LARSGIS) Institute, and Baton Rouge Green.

“Geographic Information Systems, or GIS, is considered a high-growth industry, and our students are already using it on their phones. Let's help them learn the technology behind it,” said Fran Harvey, founder of LARSGIS Institute.

For more information on Baton Rouge’s celebration of 2018 International GIS Day, email gis@brla.gov or call the LARSGIS Institute at (225) 939-1091.