Founded by Bob Kolvoord and Kathryn Keranen, the Geospatial Semester differs from traditional Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate programs. There are no high-stakes tests or overwhelming content loads. Instead, students are encouraged to broaden their horizons by learning a cutting-edge technology and applying it to a local, real-world issue. Students build their spatial thinking and project management skills, preparing them to transition from secondary education to higher education or the workforce.

Since launching in 2005 with just four schools, the Geospatial Semester has expanded into a thriving program that reaches 31 high schools across Virginia. It has been replicated at institutions such as Pacific University in Oregon, the University of Redlands in California, and Beijing Normal University.

Over 9,000 students have earned more than 42,000 college credit hours through the program.

Flexible
At its core, students learn GIS and GPS technologies and explore how they can be applied across a variety of fields. Each class is supported by monthly visits from JMU professors and includes two key assessments:

• Midterm Exam: Students apply analysis techniques to solve a standard problem or scenario.
• Final Project: Students work individually or in pairs to investigate a topic of their choice using geospatial tools. They present their findings and defend their work before JMU professors.

Schools decide how the class fits best—whether as part of science, STEM, civics, or career and technical education. This flexibility gives teachers autonomy in content and scheduling, and it allows students to pursue projects that connect with their curriculum or local community.

The number of credits students earn depends on how often the class meets, and those credits transfer easily to many colleges and universities.

Dual Enrollment 
Because the course is offered through dual enrollment, students earn JMU credit for

• Geography 161: Geospatial Tools and Techniques or 
• ISAT 181: Student Research

Dual enrollment varies by district. Some students pay their own tuition, some costs are shared between the student and the district, and in some instances, the district covers the full amount.

Relevant Problem-Based Learning
Relevance is central to the program’s success. Students develop the software skills they need through instruction, labs, and tutorials, with an emphasis on applying those skills to real-world issues. Teachers and JMU faculty look for evidence of competency in labs, projects, and exams, not through rigid pacing guides.

Problem-based learning is the heart of the Geospatial Semester. Students choose projects that matter to them — whether tied to current events, local needs, or personal interests. Past projects include

• Mapping and analyzing crime patterns in local communities.
• Identifying relocation sites for bears in national parks.
• Studying the best locations for solar farms in the Northeast.

Evolving Technology
Technology is always changing, and the Geospatial Semester changes with it. Students use professional-grade tools and software that match or even exceed what’s found in the workplace. They share Trimble Juno GPS devices for field data collection, operate ArcGIS software in the classroom, and now use esri’s online services to build mobile apps for data collection and mapping.

By keeping pace with emerging tools, the program ensures that students are challenged and prepared for the next step in higher education, an internship, or a future career.

Dr. Kolvoord shares the benefits of integrating geospatial education into the curriculum.