TeachOSM is excited to welcome our newest intern, Hayden MacLachlan. Hayden will be assisting with Communications and Outreach through May 2022. Get to know her in this latest blog post.
Hi, my name is Hayden MacLachlan, and I am the current communications intern for TeachOSM. As a student at George Washington University, I am pursuing my final semester as an International Affairs major with a minor in Geographic Information Systems. My exposure and passion for mapping developed at a late stage in my academic career. As a junior, I had no prior knowledge of mapping, GIS, or Open-Source technologies. It was the recommendation of a regional geography course instructor that I attended a mapping event with the GW branch of YouthMappers, The Humanitarian Mapping Society (HMS GW). At the time I often felt disconnected from the world I studied. And suddenly, I had the tools to contribute to meaningful data creation. The overlap between my interests and values in real-world problem solving were encouraged.
Since then, I have joined the executive board of HMS GW, where I manage training for new members and provide collaborative support to the organization. Through bi-weekly Mapathons, we focus on issue areas ranging from climate change to agricultural needs, and natural disaster planning and management projects.
My familiarity with OSM lead me to TeachOSM, where I now feel my contributions can assist in furthering the geographic and technical proficiency of students and educators. I am excited to pass along the importance of OSM to others and very much look forward to working with this community in the coming months.
Do you have a story to share about how you are using OpenStreetMap in the classroom? Reach out at info@teachosm.org!