Unlock the power of geographic data with our hands-on Introduction to GIS workshop. This course is designed to teach you the fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), giving you the skills to clean, process, and visualize spatial datasets. Whether you’re new to GIS or looking to refine your mapping skills, this workshop offers practical insights into how GIS can enhance your data analysis capabilities.

In this interactive session, you’ll learn how to use GIS for advanced data analysis. Through a combination of group work and individual exercises, you’ll tackle an analytical question, create a geographic data story, and present your findings for feedback.

What You’ll Learn

• Key GIS Concepts: Gain an understanding of the foundational principles of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and their applications in data analysis.

• Advanced GIS Techniques: Dive into GIS-specific data analysis techniques to clean, process, and visualize spatial datasets.

• Exploratory Data Analysis with GIS: Learn how to explore geographic datasets, uncovering insights that are often hidden in traditional data formats.

• Problem Ideation and Process Mapping: Build on skills like brainstorming and process mapping to frame analytical questions and develop a GIS-driven data story.

• Presenting Geographic Data: Learn how to communicate your geographic data findings effectively, creating visual maps and stories that convey complex spatial insights clearly.

What You’ll Get

• 5+ hours of pre-recorded content divided into learning modules, so you can learn at a time and pace that works best for you

• Practice exercises

• Live support via an Office Hours session the week the class is released

• Lifetime access to the learning community Q+A Board, where you can give and receive data analytics support from your peers

• A Certificate of Completion

• Access to the workshop videos and materials for at least one month (longer if you join as a Silver, Gold, or Platinum Tier member!)

• Silver, Gold, and Platinum Tier members will also unlock access to our Learning Community, our dynamic, member-only support system designed to help you integrate new skills into your work through features such as weekly office hours, monthly skill sprints, a Q+A board, quarterly webinars, and exclusive access to uncut recordings on the Data Jam Podcast.

How it Works

The next blended delivery of this workshop will be the week of May 18, 2025. All materials will be released on Sunday. Then, join us for a live office hours session on Friday from 3-4pm EST where we will address any questions you have.

Why You Should Attend

This workshop is ideal for analysts and professionals who want to add GIS to their data analysis toolkit. Whether you’re looking to integrate geographic data into your current workflows or are just getting started with GIS, this course provides practical skills that you can immediately apply. The session also emphasizes collaboration and presentation, helping you gain confidence in explaining your geographic data insights to stakeholders.

What Participants are Saying

• “I walked away from this workshop with a solid understanding of GIS and how to incorporate it into my reports.”

• “Presenting a geographic data story was a great way to reinforce what we learned. I feel more confident in my analysis now.”