Collaboration & geography are at the heart of OpenStreetMap. To promote this camaraderie and learning through open mapping, TeachOSM is awarding grants of up to $500 USD to support activities that bring together students and educators across different classrooms, groups, or geographies to learn through OpenStreetMap. Examples of activities include hosting mapping events bringing classes from different schools together, multi-school field trips to conduct mapping activities, or virtual mapping campaigns between schools on a regional issue.
Fall 2022 Grant Guidelines & Eligibility
The Fall 2022 grant period is a pilot and guidelines may be adjusted. Please review the guidelines below before submitting an application.
- Collaboration activities MUST involve a minimum of two schools or groups.
- Classes or school-based groups must be from different schools to qualify for collaboration. Geographic connection between schools is encouraged (i.e. same state or region of the country).
- Youth organization chapters can be within the same entity (i.e. Boys & Girls Clubs) but must be from different chapter locations to qualify as a collaboration.
- Grants are open to classes in high school or higher education institutions, after-school or extracurricular groups, student groups with experience hosting events, chapter-based youth organizations (i.e. Girl Scouts of America, 4-H). If you are unsure if your group qualifies, please contact us.
- Grants are NOT limited to classes and groups focused on geography or mapping. Grants are broadly available to classes in social sciences, environmental sciences, humanities, and other disciplines.
- Grants are currently only available to groups in the United States. We hope to expand this in future years.
- All activities must be concluded by December 15, 2022. We will consider applications for activities covering the entire academic year on a case-by-case basis.
Evaluation
Applications will be reviewed based on the following aspects:
1. Localization: Does the activity improve OpenStreetMap data locally or otherwise have a local impact?
2. Purpose: What will students gain or learn from this activity, besides practicing skills in OpenStreetMap?
3. Collaboration: How well does the activity promote interaction between groups? How will students learn from each other?
4. Inspiration: How will this activity impact the continuation of mapping both in your classroom/group and collaboration between classrooms/groups involved?
What We Ask of You
We want to showcase your work and inspire others! To receive the full grant, we will require all grantees to:
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Take photos to share on social media. TeachOSM will use these to celebrate your work as well for future promotions.
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Help develop resources for others such as a lesson plan/module or a guide on how you developed your collaboration to help other educators and students host similar activities. (Don’t worry - TeachOSM and OpenStreetMap US will provide support and publish the document.)
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Write a blog post or create a video about your activity. Posts and videos created by students are welcome, with proper permissions.
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Check-in with us 1-2 times during the activity period to make sure that you have all the support you need to make your collaboration happen.
Important Dates
Fall 2022 Grant Period:
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July 18, 2022 - Grant applications open
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August, 20, 2022 - Grant applications close
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September 9, 2022 - Awardees notified
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December 15, 2022 - Deadline for planned activities
FAQ
May I submit more than one idea?
Yes! However we will only fund one idea per applicant/collaborator. We may consider your additional ideas for future granting periods.
Where is funding for the Collaboration Grants coming from?
Funding comes from TeachOSM’s parent organization OpenStreetMap US. If you’re interested in supporting future funding for TeachOSM, please consider donating.
How many grants will be made?
We anticipate supporting two to four collaborations but may fund more, depending on the amount requested by selected grantees.
Apply Now!
Ready to apply? Continue to the application here. If you have any questions, please contact info@teachosm.org.