The submission deadline for the 2024 Mapping Contest has passed and judging is currently underway! The winners will be announced at the Elevations Geospatial Summit on May 10, 2024. There is still time to register for the conference!
SHOWCASE your skills!
Showcase your GIS skills by entering the 2024 GIS Colorado Mapping Contest! The GISCO Mapping Contest will take place at the GIS Colorado quarterly meeting, which will be held in tandem with the Elevations Geospatial Summit, May 8-10, 2024, which is co-hosted by WyGEO. This means that your submission will be seen by members of both organizations, maximizing the exposure to your work!
share your hard work!
We are excited to give you the opportunity to showcase your hard work and share it with GIS colleagues and professionals. Please look through these details about the contest. We look forward to your submission and can’t wait to see what you come up with! If you have questions, please email contest@giscolorado.org.
Sections
The 2024 Mapping Contest will have two Sections: Professional and Student.
Student
Enrolled in or within one year post graduation from a certificate, undergraduate, or graduate program in GIS or related field.
If you enter the Mapping Contest and will also be an enrolled student during the Fall 2024 semester, please check out our Scholarship page! GISCO awards for undergraduates and graduates every year, and you may use your Mapping Contest submission for the scholarship. However, for the scholarship applications, you will need to provide additional elements as well, so read the requirements closely. If you apply for the scholarship, you may use that essay for the Mapping Contest narrative (but not vice versa). If you have any questions, please email contest@giscolorado.org or scholarship@giscolorado.org.
Categories
There are three categories within each Section: Artistic, Maps, and Apps.
Submissions
The submission period is now open! If you have any questions, please email contest@giscolorado.org. Your submission should include a short paragraph describing your entry, including the purpose of the map, target audience, how it was created, and the reasons that prompted you to create the work. Include your name, email address, and title of the work. In the case of Apps category submissions, please provide the intended map platform (mobile, web, etc.) and url. For Student submissions, please provide your student status and grade level, and the name of the educational institution.
Voting
By submitting your entry to the GIS Colorado mapping contest you agree to have your work displayed in the GIS Colorado website and in a public space during the GIS Colorado quarterly meeting, which will be held in tandem with the Elevations Geospatial Summit, May 8-10, 2024. If you cannot attend the meeting, please make arrangements for your work to be displayed and presented virtually if possible.
If you win, you will be given the opportunity to present your work at the conference! A 5 minute allotment of time will be allocated to present your submission.
Voting will be conducted by a panel of judges. The winner will be announced at the end of the conference. There will be one winner in each of the categories for each section, Professional and Student, with one Peoples’ Choice winner.
aWARD ceremony
Winners will be celebrated in a brief award ceremony at the end of the conference to present the winners with certificates and awards. Awards will include prizes contributed by GISCO sponsors, exhibiting your work on the GIS Colorado website and social media channels, a GIS Colorado T-Shirt, a 1-year membership to GIS Colorado, and of course, cartographic bragging rights!
FINe print
Open to current paid GISCO or WyGEO members and all students. Follow the links above to become a GISCO or WyGEO member!
Entries must be submitted by midnight on April 19, 2024.
Entries may be submitted as an individual or as a group.
Entries will consist of original work, and references must be cited.
For submissions to be accepted in the Apps category, the content must be publicly accessible.
Entries are limited to one per person or group.
You do not have to be present to win, but you do have to be present to collect a prize.
Judging Criteria
Maps and Artistic category
1. Content – Is the work informative, with reliable sources? Appropriate use of grammar and spelling? Is the work’s intention clear? Does the content support the map’s intended purpose? If relevant, does the author include sufficient geographic features or other essential elements for orientation?
2. Presentation- Do the graphical elements follow a logical arrangement or visual hierarchy? Are fonts, text size, and labels configured in a way that is legible? Is there an effective use of symbology, geometry, labels, and color? Is the map’s scale appropriate for its intended purpose?
3. Originality – Is the work innovative, either in its subject matter or its application of visual graphics? Is the presentation unique?
Apps category
1. Content – Is the work informative, with reliable sources? Appropriate use of grammar and spelling? Is the work’s intention clear? Does the content support the map’s intended purpose? If relevant, does the author include sufficient geographic features or other essential elements for orientation?
2. Presentation – Do the graphical elements follow a logical arrangement or visual hierarchy? Are fonts, text size, and labels configured in a way that is legible? Is there an effective use of symbology, geometry, labels, and color? Is the map’s scale appropriate for its intended purpose?
3. Originality – does the author make effective and engaging use of the theme (palette, font choices, graphical elements)? Is the app formatted appropriately for use on multiple platforms (try resizing the screen or using the app on a mobile device and desktop)? Is the app easy to use, with an effective use of interactive tools, and intuitive user interactions? Are pop-ups configured appropriately? Is the app compatible with its intended platform or device? Does the app load and operate quickly?
Prizes
Thanks to the generosity of many quality companies and individuals, we have some truly excellent prizes for the winners!
Thank you to the following!
