My_time_at_One_Economy_rev3.ppt

Before I say anything else, I have to say a big thank you to all the VISTAS here in the W-S office for making my birthday ridiculously awesome yesterday. In particular, I appreciate their enabling my Halloween Oreo addiction.

In terms of work, my trail to One Economy was slightly unorthodox and at first, I wasn't sure how I felt about working with a non-profit that is driven primarily by technology. I'm a political science major and technology is not my forte. My friends would tell you that the scene in Office Space where they take the copier out to a field and completely destroy it... is one of my favorite moments ever. I've wanted to re-enact that scene on numerous occasions. However, most of my previous work has generally involved working with policy affecting low to moderate-income individuals and families. Working to change predatory lending laws, point out flaws in the indigent defense system and identify shortcomings of the federal poverty measure are what I know. Not computers. Not digital literacy.

So, I was a bit anxious starting out but that anxiety has long since vanished because it is hard not to get excited about one's work when you are surrounded by passionate and dedicated individuals. The VISTAS and staff in the Winston-Salem office and the staff elsewhere that I have met are incredibly hard-working and approach their work with a zeal that is contagious. Despite powerpoint's best efforts, I have found myself extremely excited about my work, both what I have done and what I will do by June. For example, a fellow VISTA in the office informed us that he has a birthday in mid-April. Now, after a statement like that, there are a large number of directions you could go. You could talk about how your cousin has a birthday near then or how that's still a good ways away. One could ask if it is a major birthday or if there is a trip planned. But me? Oh, none of that would suffice. In choosing to add to the conversation, my comment was "oh... that's right after the tax season comes to a close!" If zeal is a disease, I believe I may have it.

In the short time that I've been here, even this political science major has come to realize the value that the internet can bring to one's life. Changing policy is one way to affect someone's life in a positive way but providing folks with a vast amount of resources at their fingertips works just as well... if not better.

-S.J.

Maps!

I know what you're thinking. What's so exciting about maps?* During my first two months of VISTAhood, I guess you can say my appreciation for them has grown - especially in relation to the stimulus project. I've made quite a few and have adopted a somewhat unconventional patchwork approach to mapping due to resources. Also, it turns out that the supervisors at PSO were right! There are many ways to get to any one goal and creativity is key. Usually, one would use GIS software to map information like Census data, but those tools are very expensive and not accessible in most public libraries. With that in mind, I'm presenting this list for VISTA posterity which I fondly call...

"Mapping when you don't have GIS" (yes, it's possible) :

1) Try ArcGIS Explorer - PRO: You can download the tool or use the online version. It's FREE and you can feel your way around enough to get your project done, no GIS experience needed. CON: You have to piece together all the right data and shapefiles yourself, which can be daunting if you're rusty or have never done this before. Luckily, if you choose this mapping method, there is lots of free data to use online - searchable on data.gov.

2) Random Internet Tools - Thank you, Internet. Thanks to free user-made tools, it's surprisingly easy to find websites to help you with mapping. My favorite census-related example is this the KMZ Census Mapper developed by a University of Tennessee Professor. It's so simple and takes you step-by-step through making a map either by census tracts in states of counties. You can choose your subject (poverty, population, education, households, etc.) and view the results on Google maps. Also, Texas A&M has this free DIY website that let's you maps states with customized, color coded counties. Freemaptools.com is also a good place to go. I used it to generate a radius from a point, save the information as an RMZ, then upload it on my own Google maps. I know that there are tons of tools online, so if anyone is reading this and has an addition to this list, please comment!

3) "Mapping by Numbers" - Sonja christened this old fashioned mapping method after those little paint-by-number sets when she saw me squinting at a computer screen and labeling these paper maps by hand. I'm a digital native, but paper is not below me! When the free mapping tools online cannot deliver, a trusty highlighter and office scanner will never let you down.

4) Make Friends with Someone who has GIS - We are very lucky in Winston Salem because the Center for Community Safety has a GIS lab. Last week MaryKarinna and I went on a field trip to their offices and made some maps. When all else fails and you simply need GIS resources/a GIS expert, sometimes community resources or public universities can be of service.

I've written this post for both selfish and archival reasons. If I didn't centralize all of these links soon, I would've forgotten about them for future projects!

*If you still need an answer to that question, you should definitely watch this clip from the West Wing. It will make you want to map something.

Best from NC,

Denise