OPENGATE

Opening Pathways to Employment through Nontraditional Geospatial Applications in Technical Education
(OPENGATE)

Opening Pathways to Employment through Nontraditional Geospatial Applications in Technical Education, or OPENGATE, is funded through the National Science Foundation as a collaboration between five partner institutions in the University of Arkansas system. The goal of the three-year project is to increase access to education in location-based technologies to prepare students for employment in a wide variety of industries.

Traditionally, the primary job market for professionals with strong geospatial backgrounds has been limited to large urban areas, but surveys among regional employers in Arkansas have shown an interest in increasing the number of employees with knowledge of location-based services in addition to their industry-specific expertise.

The integration of these additional skills will help to increase the efficiency, competitiveness, and sustainability of businesses and government in the rural heartland. To achieve this goal, four partner institutions — Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas, Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas, University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville, and University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton — are integrating location-based technologies into existing curricula, with the fifth partner, the University of Arkansas Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies, or CAST, serving as a technical resource.

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Associated Awards and Grants

Opening Pathways to Employment through Nontraditional Geospatial Applications in Technical Education (OPEN-GATE), National Science Foundation (2016)

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News & Media

U of A Geospatial Technologies Experts Present Research, Workshops at Regional Symposium, Arkansas Newswire, 09/27/17

Conference Combines Location-Based Technologies With Student Preparation for Employment, Arkansas Newswire, 09/07/17

U of A Center to Lead Effort to Expand Geospatial Education Across State, Arkansas Newswire, 08/15/16

CAST to Lead Effort to Expand Geospatial Education, Research Frontiers, 08/15/16