As of July 2024, there are now three chapters in the English-speaking Caribbean - YouthMappers UWI Mona, Jamaica, the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College Mappers, St. Lucia, and YouthMappers at UWI St. Augustine, Trinidad & Tobago. So, what’s happening there you may ask?
Well, let’s start with the big sister of the group, YouthMappers, UWI Mona!
YouthMappers UWI Mona
I look back on what has been accomplished in a years’ time and I’m filled with pride for the growth that has occurred in UWI Mona’s YouthMappers Chapter – and for YouthMappers in the Caribbean region as a whole. For context, this chapter was founded back in 2018 but went dormant for a couple years, before being revitalized in 2023. After a year of dreaming and planning – the chapter that started as just three students, now boasts of about 15 chapter members, thanks to the hard work of the dedicated executive team - Deondra Powell, Maria Timbawala, Andreena Williams, Raheem Buckley, Shaniel Martin, and Neil Rhule.
The year culminated in our first in person Mapathon and field mapping activity. Building on previous work they had done in a virtual mapathon, the students mapped the Santa Rosa Heights Community in Arima, Trinidad and Tobago using the OpenStreetMaps platform. The group made great progress in mapping the community – with extra excitement driven by friendly competition with prizes being given to the top three highest contributors.
This energy was continued when the group gathered at the department the following morning, packed into a bus and began their journey to the Holywell National Park, in the Blue Mountains. Having noticed that the park had never been documented on Mapillary, the group took it upon themselves to divide into two groups and map as many hiking trails as the day would allow using the Mapillary App.
During the hikes, the accompanying lecturers, and the Chapter’s Vice President, Maria, engaged the groups with interesting facts about the park and the species they saw along the way. The group reconvened by the camping grounds to replenish their energy, and to tally their total contributions to be submitted for that day’s competition before one final hike all together to a river.
Mapillary records of Holywell before & after the field mapping excursion
As a founding member of the chapter – post its dormancy period - I genuinely feel emotional seeing the students enjoying the things we dreamed of and look forward with hope to see what else the group will achieve in the coming years, along with the two other new chapters in the region – St Lucia, and Trinidad & Tobago.
Now for the new kids on the block:
Sir Arthur Lewis Community College Mappers and YouthMappers at UWI St. Augustine! *
Sir Arthur Lewis Community College Mappers
St Lucia’s Chapter, the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College Mappers, is located at the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College in Castries, St Lucia. Founded in February 2024, the chapter was formed with the assistance of the chapter’s faculty advisor, Pamela Roberts-Benjamin, a lecturer at the University. Due to student schedules the chapter is yet to have their first meeting, with plans to get it going in the coming academic year 2024-2025.
YouthMappers at UWI St. Augustine
Trinidad & Tobago’s Chapter, YouthMappers at UWI St. Augustine, is located at the University of the West Indies St Augustine Campus, Trinidad. Founded in July 2024, the chapter was formed with the assistance of the chapter’s faculty advisor, Dr Charisse Griffith-Charles, the Head of the Department of Geomatics Engineering and Land Management at the University. The chapter was formed after a successful meeting with the students at the department to gauge interest in forming a chapter. Now that the chapter has been officially approved, students will receive training virtually over the next few weeks to prepare the club to hit the ground running in the new academic year 2024-2025.
* Having recently been formed these chapters are currently establishing their executive teams. We are all super excited to see all the great things they will accomplish once they get their feet grounded!
All in all, some very exciting things happening! Stay Tuned! Long live the Caribbean YouthMappers!
Caitlin Milne served as a Regional Ambassador from 2023-2024 and was responsible for community building and outreach in the Caribbean. Caitlin is a geospatial technician at the Institute of Marine Affairs and enjoys crafting, exploring nature, and looking at old maps and aerial imagery.