This was the best workshop I have ever [had] not only on the side of technology but also regarding the crossing cultural environment that was so prevailing and without anyone pushing. I didn't see me as a Lebanese with Lebanese or Jordanians with Jordanians or Israelis with Israelis....I saw us all together as a unit and as a group who wanted to understand with common worries and interests. I know I will never forget the minutes we spent together. Thanks for this opportunity we were given to make such a bond . . . [Middle East]

My [fellowship] experience advanced now to such a degree that I am currently working with the national commission of natural protected areas, in charge of everything that has to do with research, analysis and the use of GIS. . . MyCOE changed this part of my life, and it gave me the strength and interest to do a thousand things – made it possible to travel, to know, to learn, and to live . . .[Central America]

The student I mentored has been in the lab often, working very hard with the mapping and doing a great job preparing for the MyCOE meeting.  I think the fellowship you offered has really inspired her and it could be one of those things that changes the direction of her life. [USA]

The project has introduced me to new and scientific methods of analysing spatial data, depicting changes over time and measuring quantity of risk ahead. Most of the methods used in this project where learnt in class while some I read about them but I had never applied them at such a level. The project has increased my capacity to analyze more and more! [Africa]

Now I’m beginning to understand how important working with the community is, and the link that is necessary to make between science and the community in order to have successful, effective sustainable projects. It’s not just words on paper; the communities involved can start to benefit directly. [USA]

Participating as a MyCOE Fellow for me was an experience that created a personalized vision towards international cooperation … it is also evident that we were able to establish a regional integration to share with colleagues our own research ideas and pathways to generate positive impacts on conservation efforts in each of our countries… As a [now] professional I am enormously grateful to AAG and MyCOE because with this support I was able to complete my research and won a national environmental prize.  I would like to participate again, this time as a mentor, to be able to pass on this unforgettable experience to students …. [Mexico]

An original MyCOE participant from Kenya received a scholarship to study GIS in the US as a result of his project that was featured at the WSSD. He earned his Masters and later took an internship at the World Bank, then subsequently went on to return home to work as the GIS director for Nobel Peace Prize recipient Wangari Maathai’s Green Belt Movement in Kenya.

To have access to this kind of information and technology has made us feel recognized and gives us new strength to keep advancing along our path toward seeking knowledge, in a way that we will be able to make important contributions to the development of our countries and the formation of capable human resources.  In this particular case, without the support of you all through MyCOE, this would not have been possible. [Central America]

The experience with MyCOE gave much strength and motivation to young people from a region with very little access to cutting edge technology and knowledge, and with limited possibilities; it gave them the chance to get to live experiences they have lived in these last few years since participating. [Latin America]

I am very happy to tell you that the program MyCOE helped me alot specially in my classroom discussion in the Environmental Science, not only this as well the GPS that you gave to us was helpful to my student researchers in gathering data in their chosen field of studies. We always join the contest in Science Investigatory Project and we won third place in recently National Science and Technology fair. [Philippines]

Fully 85% of the South Asia workshop attendees felt the event to have been useful or very useful for their teaching, and 87.5% of them felt it met their personal goals.  Before the workshop, only half of respondents (50%) on average felt comfortable or very comfortable using GIS and geographic technologies in teaching geography and only 21% of them felt comfortable using them for math/science education.  After the workshop, 100% of those responding indicated feeling comfortable or very comfortable using it in geography curriculum and 62% of them now feel comfortable using GIS/Geography as a framework for math/science classes.  Of those whose responses before and after were tracked as individuals, 86% of them improved their comfort levels significantly using the technology for math and science education, with an average of 2.3 levels of improvement. 

Before participating in the workshop, 27% of Middle Eastern teachers believed that non-traditional pedagogies such as field trips, group activities or hands-on lessons are the same as standard classroom pedagogies for reaching student learning objectives.  After the workshop, 94% of teachers believed that these inquiry-driven, hands-on, field-based, active learning activities are more effective than traditional approaches. The workshop greatly increased the level of teacher’s potential use of geographic technologies when teaching, showing significant change for both using GIS and GPS. 

In the Africa workshop, evaluation results compared participant's level of learning dramatically increased between the measurements taken immediately after the workshop (36% at highest level) and at the end of the program eight months later (60% at highest level of change). This confirms a period of personal reflection of benefits accrued and points to the fact that the workshop’s outcomes are greatly sustained by a lengthy period of supervised application, networking, and sustained support, moving from “training” to “capacity building” through the MyCOE program model.

The training was excellent, from the logistics of the event during our stay to the subject-matter qualifications of the professor and the whole MyCOE team .  . .my expectations were fulfilled and it substantially nurtured the process that [my organization] is developing in search of GIS. . . .[Latin America]

This is so great – [the students] are really excited about this project, and their getting this small grant has mobilized a core group of faculty, extension agents, and high school teachers to work with them on it. It's evolving into a really neat initiative which will have impacts beyond their 6 week program I believe. Thanks so much for the opportunity and support.  [USA]

My experience working with the communities was unforgettable . . . they learned not only to create their own maps but also to interpret them. . . It was very dynamic, interesting and enriching.  [Honduras]

Currently in my institute I am now the only one who is knowledgeable and can use GIS tools in natural resources conservation, so you have made me resourceful at my institute! [Africa]

Our participation in the MyCOE program three years ago supported a project for the protection of sea turtles. This work was presented to members of the community involved to raise awareness about resource conservation. There were also interviews with delegates from institutions with a presence in the area to point out the findings and the need to take some measures aimed at the preservation and care of the species. As a result, local authorities took some new management measures with the inhabitants of the place to ensure both the arrival of the turtles to the beaches without any difficulty in order to preserve the species, and also residents would be given a small amount of eggs for sustenance food.  [Nicaragua]

One of the members on the team I mentored was appointed as Secretary for the Environment in the Municipality of Barrancabermeja, dealing with the main environmental issues in the county -- at only 27 years old.  This has not been an easy task but the Mayor has believed in the group's work and given us their vote of confidence. [Colombia]

The knowledge in GIS has directly helped me with my research in Hamiguitan Mountain range. The maps we produced were used in approximation of the ecosystem value and services of the said Mountain range. The research output was very useful for the policy makers because the area we covered were in a dilemma whether nickel mining is acceptable or not. The local partners, who worked with us in the mapping of the marine ecosystem were happy that they contributed in the making of the research. [Southeast Asia]