Teaching
Project-Based Service Learning GIS Courses
Supported by the Steans Center, project-based service-learning courses are a core part of DePaul University’s GIS curriculum. Students work with community organizations around Chicago and beyond to leverage their GIS skills to answer questions or create products that will help the organizations advance their mission. Students enjoy and are motivated by the opportunity to apply their skills and work on real-world projects:
“This course gave me a better understanding of some of the issues and projects that can be solved/investigated through GIS and what is like to work with community partners to solve those problems” (GEO 242 student, AQ21).
“I really enjoyed the service–learning design, and it motivated me and my group to 'up our game' to help the Pilsen community. It was also good to be able to put the skills and tools we have learned to use in a real life environment.” (GEO 442 student, WQ22).
“The most meaningful aspect [...] was working towards a common goal with my team and with our non-profit partner. My key insight is that having group members with different professional backgrounds helps bring diverse perspectives to a project and helps develop a more creative project.” (GEO 442 student, SQ24).
Past Partnerships
Below are our partnerships and resulting reports to date. GEO 242 is the undergraduate level version of the course and GEO 442 is the graduate level. Are you a Chicago-based community organization with a GIS project or question you’d like an answer to? We’re always looking for projects, so please email me or the Steans Center.
| Class, Term | Community Partner | Report | Report Authors |
|---|---|---|---|
| GEO 442, AQ 2025 | City of Chicago Department of Environment | "Tree Canopy Equity in Chicago: Integrating Drone Imagery, Spatial Data, and Community Stories" | Ty Ferguson, Omar Sayeed Quadri, and Mohammed Mazin Khan |
| GEO 442, AQ 2025 | Greater Chatham Initiative | "Understanding Urban Drainage and Tree Canopy Interactions in the Chatham Community" | Sarah Kedas, Jennifer Berrun, and Armando Ponce |
| GEO 442, AQ 2025 | Grow Greater Englewood | "Tree Equity and Environmental Conditions in Greater Englewood" | Miguel Angel Vazquez III, Christina Carr, and Lavidrah Shumilah |
| GEO 442, AQ 2025 | Imani Village | "Building Equity Through Trees with Imani Village" | Gabriell Carpenter, Madison Scott, and Sarah Spanski |
| GEO 442, AQ 2025 | Redline Extension TIF Coalition | "Growing Equity on Chicago’s Far South Side: Tree Canopy, Noise Pollution, and Transit Access" | John Desmond, Izzy Reno, and Clare Schroeder |
| GEO 442, AQ 2025 | Mi Villita | "Mi Villita: Tree Canopy and Urban Heat in Gage Park" | Mia Killion, Adrienne Miller, Ian Wood |
| GEO 442, AQ 2025 | Mi Villita | "Exploration of Urban Vegetation and Traffic Frequency in Chicago’s Little Village" | Samira Kassem, Grear Palmer, and Carina Allen |
| GEO 442, AQ 2025 | Mi Villita | "Tree Canopy Density and its Relationship with Urban Heat, Air Quality, and Land Use in Pilsen" | Erica Newman, Jared Smith, Kate Shonk, and Krystal Munoz |
| GEO 442, SQ 2024 | Friends of the Bloomingdale Trail | "Leaf Phenology of Serviceberry Trees Along the Bloomingdale Trail" | Lizette Arroyo, Monika Miranda, and Orlando Solorzano |
| GEO 442, SQ 2024 | Friends of the Bloomingdale Trail | "The Phenology of Serviceberry Blooms" | Alex Laner, MaryAnn McGovern, and Sierra Pantlin |
| GEO 442, SQ 2024 | Friends of the Bloomingdale Trail | "Digital Mapping of the Bloomingdale Trail for Phenology Volunteers" | Caleb Haydock, Trevor Tibbetts and, Mani Ratna Sai Prabhu Teja Anem |
| GEO 442, SQ 2023 | Naples Botanic Garden | "Pre-Existing Geographic and Social Conditions For Planned Reforestation" | Ariel Wagner, Despina Kokoris, Jessica O’Connor, and Ola Klimczak |
| GEO 442, SQ 2023 | Naples Botanic Garden | "10,000 Tree Planting Initiative: Spatial Prioritization Plan" | Taylor Swenski, Andrew P. Camilleri, and Kenneth Balcarcel |
| GEO 442, WQ 2022 | Urban Collaborative Community Research Initiative | "Greening Without Gentrification: Strengthening Pilsen’s Urban Canopy" | Harrison Horst, Casey Lawler, Abby Mader, Jessica Walter, and Michael Wiencek |
| GEO 442, WQ 2022 | Urban Collaborative Community Research Initiative | "Analyzing Green Space in Chicago’s Lower West Side/Pilsen Neighborhood" | Valeria Tarka, Chris Sandine, Evelyn Ryan, Kathryn Gillingham, and Caitlin Ailsworth |
| GEO 442, WQ 2022 | Urban Collaborative Community Research Initiative | "Pilsen TIF Corridor Analysis and Recommendations" | Lizbeth Carrazco, Isabella Corya, Makala Morales, Pam Tingley, Javan Johnson, and Joshua Woods |
| GEO 242, WQ 2021 | Chicago Coalition for the Homeless | "Data Mapping For Chicago Election Patterns and Voter Turnout" | Daniel Piraino and Max Halekakis |
| GEO 242, WQ 2021 | Plant Chicago | "Circular Economy Businesses in Chicago" | Camila Cortez, Lukas Gilkeson, Madeline Mertes, and Shelby Johnson |
| GEO 242, AQ 2020 | Chicago Coalition for the Homeless | "Ten Chicago Wards Categorized by Race and Income to Assess Where Homelessness Relief Efforts Should be Focused" | Lena DiBenedetto and Felicia Freitag |
| GEO 242, AQ 2020 | Pilsen Alliance | "Building Resilience to Displacement: Combating Pilsen’s Proposed Landmark District" | Charlie Kolomos, Mara Gayle Morgan, and Josephine Stratman |
| GEO 242, AQ 2020 | DePaul University Marketing Department | "Hispanic Entrepreneurial Service Organizations (ESOs) in Chicago" | Maya Baker, Bennett Berman, Andrew Larkin, and Jennifer Ovist |
Aerial photo of the DePaul Urban Garden. Drone piloting and photo by Chris Impellizeri.