Geographic Information Systems (GIS) — Get Involved with the GIS Community

NEARC is a regional GIS organization that encompasses GIS communities based in New England and New York. The NEARC listserv is a great place to ask for troubleshooting advice, and local/regional GIS jobs and internship opportunities are often posted in the listserv. NEARC also hosts two regional conferences, one in the spring, and one in the fall. The fall conference is typically larger and takes place over a few days, and the spring conference is typically one day and hosted by a university. These are great places for students and emerging professionals to present on a GIS project or research. 

The Connecticut GIS network is a local community of GIS users spanning several diciplines, including industry, public service, utilities, education, and natural resources. The network coordinates quarterly meetings, and hosts a listserv that is used for communitcating local GIS events and mappy hours, posting GIS jobs, and discussing GIS-related topics. In addition, the CTGIS Network also hosts GIS Day!

NorthStar of GIS

NorthStar of GIS is an organization commited to intersectional racial justice in GIS, geography, and STEM through the advancment of equitable geo-practices, and the promotion of Black representation in the GIS and geography fields. They host several events and webinars throughout the year, including Homecoming, a global symposium on GIS day, as well as a series of events throughout Black History Month.

Black Girls MAPP

Black Girls MAPP promotes networking, support, and professional development opportunities that center women of African decent. Their many projects and initiatives can be viewed on their hub site. 

Women in GIS Northeast Chapter

Women in GIS is an international organization dedicated to supporting women working in geospatial fields through professional development opportunities, events, and networking opportunities. The Northeast chapter hosts in-person and remote events throughout the year, and hosts meetings and get-togethers at the fall and spring NEARC conferences. 

Conferences and Summits

ESRI hosts a number of conferences, events, and summits throughout the year for users of their products. Their main conference (ESRI User Conference) takes place (typically the second week) in July at the San Diego Convention Center. This is a large conference with expansive networking opportunities with people and industries from all over the country and world.  UConn receives a very limited amount of free event registrations to the ESRI UC every year. For more information about this, email Rich Mrozinski at mrozinski@uconn.edu. 

Other conferences that ESRI hosts include:

• Federal GIS Conference
• Education Summit (takes place concurrently with the UC)
• Energy Resources GIS Conference

Internships and Volunteer Opportunities

ESRI offers a number of paid internships at their main site in Redlands, CA and regional offices around the country (including Arlington, VA and Portland, ME). Additionally, fourth-year undergraduate and graduate students can volunteer at one of ESRI's conferences (including the annual User Conference) and recieve free registration, accomodations, and per diem for meals. 

ESRI Groups and Communities

ESRI also coordinates a number of user communities and special interest groups surrounding products, industries, and user types. 

• ESRI Young Professionals Network (YPN) Northeast Chapter

ESRI YPN is a country-wide community of young people starting out in GIS careers. In addition to hosting a webpage full of resources for young professionals, as well as an email list, the YPN also organizes regional chapter meetups, and hosts a social event at the ESRI UC.