Meet the new cohort of regional leaders who will support the YouthMappers network over the course of the next year! They are students, faculty advisors, and alumni of YouthMappers chapters and members of their local OSM communities united by their strong desire to cultivate a generation of student-leaders dedicated to integrating the use of open data within the processes of development for their communities. We are proud to work with and learn from these 23 leading voices representing 18 countries:
Together they will...
Guide students through setting up and registering YouthMappers chapters
Support chapters in establishing sustainable leadership structures
Prepare students to become active participants of the OSM community and mapping technology users
Unique to this year’s cohort is a renewed commitment to supporting existing YouthMappers chapters and reinforcing the technical capacity of young women within the network. Women are underrepresented in the technology workforce and their reduced participation is experienced as missing critical information from the map. Through trainings and mapping activities, we hope to add features and attributes that would improve conditions for women.
As members of professional networks, regional ambassadors not only expand the YouthMappers footprint and extend the opportunity to students to participate in this movement, they help build bridges and connect students with internship and entrepreneurial opportunities. They have successfully engaged in peer-to-peer mentoring and organized mapping activities with local actors to incorporate chapters into their projects using open mapping technologies. The value of their local knowledge in identifying collaborative mapping projects focused on finding local solutions has given students the opportunity to and has helped connect students to apply their skills as preparation for entering the workforce.
Read their bios and connect with them on social media by visiting the Regional Ambassadors page.