The following links will hopefully give the participants a resource to obtain information about GIS, sources to obtain free data for Illinois and other location, links to interactive sites that are using GIS, and links to educational sites that have a wealth of information.

Why GIS in Education?

• It is tied to the National Geography, Science, Mathematics and Social Studies Standards.
• It provides Problem Based Learning as well as Reality Based Learning to students.
• It provides students with Real-World Data in an inquiry-based, problem-solving mode.
• It allows for multidisciplinary learning at a scale from local to global.
• It provides an integrated approach to learning with computers.
• It lets students conduct investigations, rather then just talk about the concepts.
• It increases the recognition that geography education is important to society.
• It provides essential skills that the job market of the future will require.