Yudu - Connect Volume25 Issue4 March-April2012DRM

• We all got to work on a big map of Villa. We were all involved. • It was fun to map with such a big scale. • It was fun to see the entire Villa Academy on a map and see what people’s favorite places are.

• Everyone got involved and I liked how we were able to map Villa inside and out. The Impacts

The process of collecting and compiling this information onto a large-scale map allowed stu- dents to see both problems and opportunities at their school. They saw patterns such as the possible spread of English ivy from one problem area to the nearby, much-loved Grotto. This visual identification of problems in such proximity to cherished spaces can lead to stewardship action and can help students prioritize which challenged areas receive attention. In the case of Villa Academy, the sixth-grade teacher was excited to translate his students’ findings about their favorite places and places that need attention into class projects. The teacher appreciated how the com- munity mapping project allowed his students to “process the world and their experiences in the world” and plans to do a community mapping project with his students every year. The Villa Academy community has expressed interest in using

findings from the map to identify places for class cleanup projects, such as invasive species removal and planting of native plants. This will improve and advance their connection to and affinity for their school community. They write:

• I love Villa and I want to make it a better place. • I would feel like I was a part of our school. • Everywhere needs to be cleaned up in this world. • There are places I like that need attention. • I love Villa.

As final confirmation of the benefits and perspective gained

through community mapping, one student remarked, “I think that we should help the commu- nity and the school by making it a better place.” This motivation through collaborative, hands- on experiential learning is a powerful result of community mapping. !

Jenny Mears works in the Education Department of the Woodland Park Zoo, facilitating teacher profes- sional development and community classes on creating backyard habitat. Jenny wrote this article as part of her coursework for Miami University’s Global Field Program, from which she graduated with her Mas- ter’s of Arts in Zoology in December 2011.

Acknowledgments

The author wishes to thank Roger Crafts and the Villa Academy sixth grade for their enthusiastic partici- pation in and invaluable feedback on the community mapping process. The author also wishes to thank Steve Oswanski from the Toledo Zoo, Stephanie Stowell from Miami University, and Todd Paul from War- ren County Career Center for their insights in revising this article.

RESOURCES

Dower, M. Foreword for From Place to PLACE: Maps and Parish Maps. Sue Clifford and Angela King, Eds. London: Common Ground, 1996.

Gruenewald, D. “The Best of Both Worlds: A Critical Pedagogy of Place.” Educational Researcher, 32 4 (2003):3–12.

Hart, Roger. Children’s Participation: The Theory and Practice of Involving Young Citizens in Community Development and Environmental Care. London: Earthscan (UNICEF), 2007.

Parker, Brenda. “Constructing Community Through Maps? Power and Praxis in Community Mapping.” The Pro- fessional Geographer 58 4 (2006):470–84.

Sobel, David. Mapmaking with Children. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1998. Wood, Justin. “‘How Green Is My Valley?’ Desktop Geographic Information Systems as a Community-based Participatory Mapping Tool.” Area, 37 2 (2005):159–70.

Connecting the photos they took of favorite places around their school, students add to the base map of their community.

jenny mears