Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/50311
NEWSLINK Geospatial Agency Continues toward Vision At the U.S. Geospatial Intelligence Foundation GEOINT Symposium in October 2011, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) leaders gave attendees in San Antonio details on the agency's progress toward its vision, which centers on four key elements: content, open information technology, cus- tomer service and analytic depth. "We've spent the past year laying the foundation to make this vision a reality, and we've made significant progress on a number of fronts," said Letitia A. Long, NGA director. Long's presentation included a live demonstration of applications used by federal agencies, such as an application that the Federal Emergency Management Agency used in the wake of Hurricane Irene. Using an electronic tablet, Long demonstrated applications such as a Disaster Atlas for use by first respond- ers. NGA produced more than 6,000 pages an hour, providing instantaneous, refreshed data through hurricane-disaster efforts. Previously, the norm was printing 200 pages an hour. Long, whose vision for NGA centers on "putting the power of GEOINT in the hands of the users," also dem- onstrated an application known as the Aeronautical Kneepad, which serves as a collection of airport and flight-chart data. The application lets pilots replace heavy hardcopy references with a digital tool that can be updated instantly—an approach that should save the agency millions in printing costs. Long's progress report on the NGA vision coincides with a new online public face for the agency. NGA recently launched a new public Web site designed to give users easier access to items of interest from NGA partners, career and student opportunities, and quick links to NGA's social-media presence. Agency leaders plan to enhance the site during the next year, providing features such as a customizable interface and a GEOINT application marketplace. NGA officials say the goal is to provide a single access point for the agency's unclassified geospatial information. The agency's recent milestones coincide with another major event for NGA. In fall 2011, the agency completed its move to a new headquarters at NGA Campus East in Springfield, Va. The site has room for 8,500 NGA workers. The move took place between January and September 2011, as part of the Base Realignment and Closure program. Partnership Brings Geocaching to Teachers' Lesson Plans SDG Creations Ltd., a privately held Ohio educa- tional publisher, and Apisphere, a GPS product maker, teamed to create Educaching, a new GPS- and geo- caching-based curriculum for teachers. The partnership blends a print or electronic geocach- ing manual for teachers with applications using GPS devices such as Apisphere's Geomate.jr product, which is geared toward use in geocaching, a treasure-hunt-like activity in which users rely on GPS and other naviga- tional tools to find objects hidden by others. "The curriculum guides teachers in science-, tech- NGA completed the move to its new headquarters (shown during construction), a milestone that coincides with recent agency progress toward its vision of "putting the power of GEOINT in the hands of the users." 8 GEO W ORLD / DECEMBE R 2O11 nology-, engineering- and mathematics-based GPS scavenger hunts that engage students in teamwork, problem solving, critical thinking and exercise in a fun learning environment," noted Jason Hubbard, author of the Educaching GPS-based curriculum. In an educational setting, the geocaching "hide- and-seek" approach could be used to craft innovative outdoor lessons for science and math students. "We are excited about our partnership with SDG Creations," said Warren Hewerdine, Apisphere general manager. "Together we can provide a complete learn- ing solution for teachers that includes a suitable GPS device as well as a corresponding curriculum." MARC BARNES, U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS