GIS For Good in Detroit, Michigan
GIS For Good Detroit empowers communities with mapping and drone tools to address issues like gun violence, food insecurity, and environmental injustice. From youth-led STEM projects to hotspot mapping and public health analysis, we're turning neighborhood knowledge into real-world impact. It's data for the people — used by the people — to build a more just Detroit. We also at RomoGIS use GIS to develop leaders that give back to their communities.
GIS For Good: Workforce Development
In Detroit, GIS is being used to ignite student leadership and economic opportunities. The GIS Pathways Program at Frederick Douglass Academy (FDA) provides a comprehensive workforce development track focused on geospatial technologies and drone operations. Our high school students train in college level GIS courses and participate in professional development opportunities to grow their confidence as leaders. Through the program students are introduced to drones, digital mapping, and spatial storytelling as tools for both personal growth and community change. We use the program to build, inspire, and encourage students to use GIS tools to better their communities and advance their professional opportunities.
Other professional development opportunities for FDA students include mock interviews and internships. Mock interviews teach students how to professionally interview with industry partners, including OHM Advisors, Turner Construction , Detroit Public Schools Community District , and Esri . We are grateful for the professional leaders who generously contributed their time and expertise to assist our students in this valuable experience. Importantly, students also gain paid internship experiences where they strengthen their GIS skills, contribute to meaningful projects, and continue their growth as leaders. Our RomoGIS internship empowers students like David Lockhart and Caleb Potts to support the development of their peers, strengthen their leadership skills, gain hands-on experience with projects that matter to them, and develop a meaningful growth path into high-demand tech fields.
Furthermore, the 2025 Summer Camp brought middle and high school students together for a three-day immersion where they explored how technology connects to their neighborhoods, their voices, and their futures. From the start, the camp emphasized student-centered learning. Day 1 combined drone flight with mental mapping, encouraging students to sketch their neighborhoods by hand and share their stories of places that matter most. Students then translated their drawings into digital maps, showing how GIS can elevate lived experience into actionable community data. Guest presenters, including Eastern Michigan University researchers and City of Detroit Innovation professionals , reinforced the real-world impact of GIS by connecting classroom activities to professional careers in planning, environmental science, and civic technology.
Day 2 built on these skills with geocaching challenges, drone obstacle courses, and workshops in remote sensing and LiDAR technology. These activities highlighted GIS as both fun and career-relevant, showing students how spatial tools can power city services, environmental monitoring, and disaster response. By the end of the camp, students had grown more confident in their abilities to create maps, fly drones, and pursue career opportunities in STEM fields.
The closing showcase on Day 3 brought families and partners together to witness our students’ mapping projects that addressed local issues like food access, public safety, green space, and community resilience. In these presentations, students demonstrated that they had grown from learners into emerging change-makers, using GIS and drones to analyze challenges and propose solutions for their neighborhoods. Check out the full 2025 GIS & Drone Summer Camp recap.
