Newly developed GIS skills aid in western Maine emergency preparedness and resilience efforts
Maine Geospatial Institute, a UMS initiative that unites the geospatial technologies community – scientists, researchers, students, educators, industry leaders, and other key partners– launched the Introduction to GIS Mapping Micro-Credential in February 2025. Since then, 125 learners have earned the foundational Level 1 badge, and over 50 have completed the full micro-credential.
Sara Bickford, Deputy Director of Somerset County Emergency Management Agency, put her new technical skills to work modernizing western Maine’s community responses to flooding by converting damage reports and personal accounts into a sophisticated interactive map.
“After completing the Intro to GIS Mapping Micro-Credential, I immediately put my new skills to work,” Sara said. “While planning a series of community forums, our team originally discussed collecting data on paper maps and compiling the information manually. While that traditional approach had worked in the past, I saw an opportunity to modernize the process using the GIS tools now available to us.”
This new method not only streamlined data collection but also allowed her organization to layer and analyze the information in ways that reveal the broader impacts of flooding across the Sandy River Watershed, Sara said. Learn more about Sara and her agency’s efforts to ensure the safety and well-being of all 51,000 Somerset County residents here.
About Maine Geospatial Institute
Together, the seven campuses of the University of Maine System (UMS) are building a central resource to advance geospatial technology initiatives. This resource is the Maine Geospatial Institute (MGI). The Maine Geospatial Institute unites the geospatial technologies community – scientists, researchers, students, educators, industry leaders, and other key partners – to work together in recognition that economic growth, workforce development, education, and research can all be strengthened through collaboration. For more information about MGI, visit maine.edu/maine-geospatial-institute/.
About the UMS Micro-Credential Initiative
The University of Maine System’s (UMS) Micro-Credential Initiative supports the development and implementation of micro-credentials across the system’s seven universities and school of law. UMS micro-credentials are made up of digital badges that highlight the earner’s competencies in skills needed for today’s workforce. They are offered to UMS students, youth, and as professional development opportunities for individuals in the workforce to advance or increase their employability. Micro-credentials earned through the University of Maine System are verified, evidence-based, and shareable. For further information about the UMS Micro-Credential Initiative, visit maine.edu/micro-credentials.