Love Data Week Mapathon

​Join the Undergraduate Global Health Club and Stanford Branner Earth Sciences Library in mapping a high-priority global health project, helping organizations like Doctors Without Borders and the Red Cross deliver vital aid to at-risk communities around the world. In just 20 minutes, you'll join a movement of over 100K volunteers across the world using Humanitarian OpenStreetMap. The event is open to all Stanford affiliates and dinner from Zareen's will be provided! Non-Stanford affiliates are able to join over Zoom.

​What is a Mapathon? Accurate maps are essential for humanitarian responses and global health, yet many communities remain unmapped. Missing Maps is a humanitarian initiative started in 2014 to address this critical gap by mapping crucial infrastructure in underrepresented areas, often through collaborative “Mapathon” events. The maps created help emergency responders reach communities during natural disasters, enable healthcare workers to organize vaccination campaigns, and support NGOs in developing resilient infrastructure. 

​During our Winter Mapathon, we’ll use satellite imagery and simple online GIS tools to trace building outlines and create detailed digital maps of previously unmapped areas. Last spring, we mapped 2,084 buildings in Malawi, and this winter, we’re aiming to break that record while contributing to a project with direct global health impact. We’ll also be joined by Jerico Bajador, an epidemiologist at the WHO Philippines, and Olumide Ogungbemi, a global health geospatial analyst, who will highlight how mapping advances public health.

​So, join us for an evening of impact on Monday February 9th from 6-8 pm in Branner Earth Sciences Library. No prior experience is necessary—mapping is easy to learn in just 20 minutes—so come ready to have fun while contributing to a global humanitarian effort. We can’t wait to see you there!