GIS allows educators to engage their students effectively, and to help them develop the critical thinking and spatial analysis skills needed in today’s globalized workforce. Many educational professionals believe that GIS acts as a catalyst for creative thought and problem-solving skills and facilitates spatial reasoning that supports higher levels of learning among students.

There has been a tremendous growth of GIS programs in the educational sector over the past 25 years. Demand by the workforce for GIS education and training and the spread of GIS as a tool across disciplines are two of the factors driving this growth. It is also widely used for academic research in colleges and universities.

Esri India assists institutions at all levels by way of learning resources, events and training programs, so they can embark on GIS education, training and research in a timely manner. The learning programs bring together real-world industry experience in GIS software, hands-on exercises, and best practices.

The rapid growth in GIS is opening up huge opportunities for educators however for introducing GIS in a pre-existing curriculum is not possible without challenges. Pedagogical approaches differ between institutions. Besides, implementing a geospatial education program makes tremendous demands on the teams involved, such as logistical, administrative and pedagogical demands.

Programs from Esri India are designed to support educators, researchers, and administrators at schools, colleges, and universities in developing a successful and sustainable GIS program.