The Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies at the University of Arkansas received a three-year grant for $898,073 from the National Science Foundation through its Advanced Technical Education program, the UA announced Monday.
The money will be used for the "Opening Pathways to Employment through Nontraditional Geospatial Applications in Technical Education" program, called OPEN-GATE.
The program will lead a statewide effort to integrate industry-specific geospatial technology skills into existing degree and certificate programs at community colleges in rural areas.
The spatial technologies center said it will work with four community colleges in the UA System to include geospatial technology curriculum in current programs.
They are:
- Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas in De Queen.
- Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas in Helena-West Helena.
- University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville.
- University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton.
Geospatial technologies include computer-based mapping and data acquisition and analysis using geographic information systems. The U.S. Department of Labor has listed it as a high-growth industry and a major area of job creation in the next decade.
The program aims to expand access to geospatial education and training and improve existing employee skills while expanding the workforce.
