GIS For Good Nashville, Tennessee
GIS For Good Nashville brings together mapping, drone tech, and community leadership to tackle real challenges — like housing access, food deserts, and public safety. We train youth and neighbors to use GIS tools to tell their stories, protect their blocks, and build a more just city. It’s about putting powerful tools in local hands — and making change that starts from the ground up. At RomoGIS we teach how mapmaking and GIS can create local change.
GIS For Good: Mapping for Community Change
RomoGIS is partnering with Professor Clay Burns at Central Magnet School to implement the GIS for Good curriculum in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The program teaches 11th & 12th grade students how to leverage innovative technology to map what matters to them and effectively communicate to advance their solutions for real-world impact. During the 5-week program, students learned community mapping techniques, practiced their critical thinking skills, conducted a research project and created a digital map. Students leveraged GIS tools like ArcPro, ArcGIS Online and Storymaps to build their technical skills. They also strengthened their public speaking skills as they practiced presenting their StoryMap projects and giving constructive feedback to peers. The program culminated with student presentations on GIS Day.
As students reflected on their GIS For Good experience, they shared personal takeaways such as, “From this experience, I have learned the importance and necessity of telling people's story.” Importantly, students also expressed examples of their growth as professionals and map makers that think critically. One student shared, “I learned that if there is no layer that we want, we could make it ourselves.”
Building on the momentum of our Central Magnet School GIS For Good program, we continue to create opportunities for students to practice their skills, build their confidence, and become community leaders. For example, students joined Frank Romo on stage as Keynote Presenters at the Tennessee Geographic Information Council's (TNGIC) 2025 Conference where they shared their impressive projects with over 300 professionals from the GIS industry!
Additionally, RomoGIS has hired Central Magnet student intern Houston Rettig to continue his professional development through supporting our GIS For Good work across the country. He has gained skills in custom app development and has gained confidence as an innovative leader. Houston’s efforts also contributed to the development of the helpful dashboard application that helped the North St. Louis community respond more efficiently during disaster recovery efforts. This is one example of a student’s growth trajectory after our GIS For Good program.
We are inspired to continue our GIS For Good work with Professor Clay Burns from Central Magnet School and Professor Michael Camponovo from University of Tennessee Knoxville . Together we are supporting the creation of a statewide innovation pipeline that empowers students with comprehensive personal and professional development skills that will improve access to employment opportunities in the GIS Industry.