Geospatial Engineering and Land Surveying Day
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi held the inaugural Geospatial Engineering and Land Surveying Day (GELS) on Friday, Nov. 3, 2023. Over 100 high school students were in attendance. Participating schools included Veterans Memorial High School, Gregory Portland High School, Moody High School, Miller High School, West Oso High School, and Coles High School. Participants heard presentations about the programs offered by the College of Engineering and Computer Science at TAMU-CC, the many scholarships that are available, and participated in four activities.
The first activity consisted of a campus tour, where the students got to see different parts of the university and learn fun facts about the campus. The second activity was a short lecture on how the Global Navigation Satellite System works followed by geocaching with their phones to find hidden caches located on the campus grounds. The third activity, called MapSwipe, consisted of learning how citizens around the world can be involved in geospatial data projects as volunteers to help identify infrastructure on maps; students downloaded the MapSwipe App on their phones and followed the steps to assist with mapping mobile homes in Arizona. The last activity was the Where in the World Game; the game tested their geographic knowledge as they identified geographical locations around the world. Additionally, results for the map gallery game were calculated and prizes were given out to the winners.
“I enjoyed the creativity this event had to offer,” said Dominique Garcia-Hernandez, a senior at Miller High School. “We got to learn a lot of science-based material, and with the activities, we were allowed to put our own spin on them, which helped my friends and I expand our knowledge and interest in Geospatial Engineering.”
“Since I am interested in engineering, I liked how compassionate all the professors were about the field,” said Raphael Hernandez, a senior at West Oso High School. “Students need to attend events like this one because it offers them a chance to see what the school is capable of teaching and providing for them.”