1.
GIS
&
Information
Technology
Summer
Institute
in
Panama

2.
Time
to
take
GIS
outside
the
lab…
! Geographic
Information
Systems
(GIS)
skills
are
in
high
demand…
! But
the
realities
of
implementing
GIS
projects
in
resource
constrained
environments
are
not
always
addressed.
! Commercial
GIS
such
as
ESRI
/
ArcGIS
tend
to
be
expensive,
clunky
and
not
very
user
–
friendly
affairs…
! So,
the
open-­‐source
geeks
came
in…
2

3.
Time
to
take
GIS
outside
the
lab…
! Open
–
source,
free
GIS
that
you
can
install
on
any
laptops
! Proven
records
of
being
used
for
USAID,
Gates
and
PEPFAR
projects
3

4.
Add
in
smartphone-­‐based
data
collection…
And
you
have
a
neat
set
of
skills
to
offer
to
any
public
health
project
involving
needs
assessment,
monitoring
and
evaluation
and
routine
or
strategic
health
information
systems…
4
(So,
ALL
of
them
??)

5.
Do
I
need
to
know
anything
about
GIS
or
spatial
analysis
to
register
for
the
course?
! NO
!
! Having
some
practical
knowledge
of
Excel
will
not
hurt
though….
Do
I
need
to
speak
Spanish?
5
! Nope…

6.
Where
will
all
this
take
place?
! A
couple
of
days
in
Panama
City…
6

7.
7
Then
we’re
off
to
Boquete….

8.
8
Then
we’re
off
to
Boquete….

9.
Why
Boquete?
! Small
mountain
town,
lots
of
amenities
! (4th
largest
hub
in
Central
America
for
U.S.
retirees…)
! Rural
environment
(coffee
plantations
and
volcanoes)
! Tapestry
of
small
communities
and
multiple
environment
resources
à
Lots
of
possibilities
for
field
work.
9

10.
What
will
we
do?
! Morning
classes:
learn
about
GIS
architecture,
present
case
–
studies,
and
labs,
labs,
labs!
! Afternoon:
usually
one
short
assignment
to
practice
the
skills
learned
in
class
that
day,
then
you’re
free
to
go
run
around.
! Field
excursions:
Boca
del
Toro,
Volcan
Baru,
Queztal
trail…
! Final
Assignment:
An
original
A
to
Z
data
collection,
analysis
and
mapping
study
10

11.
Post
–
course
Internships
! Taking
advantage
of
Payson’s
connections
and
well
–
established
networks
in
Panama
! Possible
internship
with
UNDP,
Cathalac,
Victoria
Ward
(maternal
health
projects),
the
Smithsonian
Institute,
and
many
of
our
other
partners.
11

12.
When
are
we
leaving?
! Dates:
May
18
–
June
6,
2°15
! Price
(not
including
airfare):
$
4,100
! Housing
to
be
confirmed.
Expect
shared
room
in
guest
house
/
coffee
plantation.
12

13.
13
See
y’all
there!