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SHREVEPORT – LSU Shreveport and the City of Shreveport are partnering to offer a certificate training program in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) this June.

The program blends classroom and field-based learning as participants will use GIS equipment to record and collect data, take geotagged photos, and upload survey information.

The program GIS Essentials I will take place June 3-19 with classroom learning occurring at LSUS and field learning taking place at a Shreveport Parks and Recreation-operated cemetery.

“This initiative is a smart investment in both our people and our infrastructure,” said Bill Sabo, Director of Economic Development for the City of Shreveport. “By partnering with LSUS, we’re not only giving residents access to hands-on training in high-demand skills like GIS and field surveying – we’re also laying the groundwork for a stronger local workforce that can support the city’s future development needs.”

Participants will map and document cemetery plots for the City of Shreveport with the final product including GPS coordinates and photographs that will be available online.

LSUS and City of Shreveport officials were on hand to finalize the agreement Friday, and Shreveport mayor Tom Arceneaux said the city will receive a practical benefit from this program.

“Part of this initiative’s value would be with respect to our cemeteries, which Shreveport has a lot of historic cemeteries,” Arceneaux said. “But you can’t necessarily find your loved one or your ancestor easily. That’s something that will be beneficial in applying the minute GIS mapping skills to provide valuable information to our citizens.

“A lot of industries use these types of skills, and it’s a great way to pinpoint a particular location.”

Successful completion of the program will result in a GIS Essentials I Credly Badge.

Classes will occur on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to noon. The cost is $749, but eligible participants could have those costs covered by the .

GIS training plays a role in the creation of spatial data, which is used in everything from city planning (population density/economic activity) to ecological and environmental projects (migration patterns for specific species) to medical studies (how diseases are distributed among different populations).

Spatial data skills are in high demand across a broad swath of the economy.

“Spatial information and GIS is used in almost every single field, from business and marketing to many of the sciences – you name it,” said Dr. Peter Siska, LSUS professor of biological sciences who teaches GIS classes. “Now we know so much more about spatial information since we have mobile forms and GPS.

“Those things plus satellites all provide important information on a regular basis, and we’re able to analyze this information using computer software. It’s crucial with the advent of machine learning and artificial intelligence.”

Specific roles involving the physical collection of spatial data include survey and mapping technicians, engineering technicians, and geo-technicians.

LSUS has faculty in a number of disciplines such as history and biology that use GIS equipment in their fields of study and teach these techniques to students.

The GIS certificate program serves as a pilot to explore scalable models for future non-credit workforce programs.

“This is an exciting step to align educational attainment with workforce needs in a practical, hands-on format that blends classwork with real fieldwork,” said Leigh Anne Chambers, executive director of events and community initiatives at LSUS. “We’re building training experiences that make an impact – in the classroom, on resumes, and across our community.”