Ralph Booker plans to show Marshall County kids interested in GPS & GIS a new career path. He is coordinating and leading a GIS for Youth Club in Plymouth for all Marshall County students, from junior high to senior high teens. Marshall County is one of three counties in the state awarded a grant worth several thousand dollars. Booker has noted that  the grant for the software was available from the national 4-H organization in conjunction with ESRI.

Goals of the YFP Project

Learn about key natural resources, cultural and recreational sites in your community.
Share and promote your favorite local natural resources, cultural and recreational sites.
Visit the favorite places of other youth when on interstate exchanges, field trips, and vacation.
Participate in building a national database as a 4-H community service project.
Learn new skills, or how to apply their existing skills, such as:
Use GPS receiver
Use Digital Camera, photo editing
Database use and entry
Map reading
Background research
Technical writing
Collaboration with other organizations or agencies
Team work

All those interested in participating with the Geographical Information Systems for Youth Club can either contact Ralph Booker for further information at (574) 936-3502 or show up at the group's meetings.

See http://www.youthfavoriteplaces.org/

Note: We first heard about this project in the South Bend Tribune