Training technicians rather than researchers — stacking geospatial AI credentials from high school through community college to university

1Not the research base but the practice base

Awards involving AI bring university laboratories and graduate students to mind. That is not what this one targets. Its subject is technicians who work with geographic information systems — people handling maps and data in urban planning, resource management and emergency response. The institution is a community college, and the people being trained are technicians rather than researchers.

2The stackable design

1. 1High schoolDual-enrollment opportunities built in with regional K-12 districts
2. 2Community collegeA new GeoAI certificate and an enhanced GIS associate degree
3. 3UniversityA transfer pathway connected with the University of Redlands
4. 4IndustryCo-development with a global industry leader and access to industry-standard technologies

Stackable credentials are the central idea. Rather than completing one long program in a single stretch, short credential units accumulate, so each stopping point connects to employment and those who can continue go further. For people studying while working, or unable to set aside a long block of time, it lowers the entrance. Including dual enrollment in high school also moves the start of the pathway earlier.

3Two new courses

Concretely, two new courses — Introduction to Geospatial Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Geospatial Artificial Intelligence — are developed and piloted, with applied, hands-on learning embedded in the curriculum. Instructional capacity is strengthened through faculty development, a GeoAI summer bridge program and access to industry-standard technologies. External evaluation ensures rigor and informs continuous improvement.

4Made to be replicated

What the project repeatedly emphasizes is making the pathway nationally replicable. Curricula, evaluation findings and implementation models are disseminated through advanced technological education and GIS professional networks. Producing something others can adopt, rather than improving one school, is part of the intended outcome.

Of the 120 NSF awards this site holds as of 2026-09-02, California leads by state with 24, across 70 distinct programs. Amounts are the obligated amount as of the check date and may change.