Mapping and geographic information system (GIS) technology were the main focus of 32 federal agencies from nine government departments at the Geography Awareness Week and GIS Day celebration held November 19-20, 2003, in Washington, D.C. The event, "Peering Into the Past and Envisioning the Future," drew more than 300 participants that included teachers, students, federal employees, GIS users and others interested in learning about the importance of geography throughout the world.

GIS Day is a global event that is part of a National Geographic Society initiative called Geography Awareness Week, which focuses on geographical achievements. National and international GIS Day events provide GIS users with an arena to showcase applications of the technology to the public. The Association of American Geographers, ESRI, Hewlett-Packard, the Library of Congress, National Geographic Society, Sun Microsystems, University Consortium for Geographic Information Science and the United States Geological Survey are principal sponsors of the event.

First-day events included the Federal CIO Council bimonthly meeting and a Plenary Session co-chaired by Hord Tipton, chief information officer of the U.S. Department of the Interior, and Kim Nelson, CIO of the Environmental Protection Agency. Plenary speakers addressed attendees about geography and GIS and how they are impacting our world. Jack Dangermond, ESRI president, and Roger Tomlinson opened the session with an overview of Geography Awareness Week and GIS Day and discussed the importance of these events to the federal community.

The keynote speaker for the plenary session was Bennett W. Raley, the assistant secretary for water and science at the Department of the Interior. Raley addressed attendees about the importance of geospatial technology in today's government enterprise and the various ways it helps plan for the future. Tom Fulton, director of the Lewis and Clark Expedition Caucus, also spoke during the first-day's session. Trimble, NAVTECH, National Geographic Society and ESRI sponsored a reception following the plenary that honored the work of the president's management agenda and recent geospatial e-government initiatives.

During the two-day event, hundreds of students in Grades 3-8 from the Washington, D.C., area experienced an interactive Lewis and Clark exhibit aimed at teaching participants about one of history's greatest adventures. The exhibit included Thomas Jefferson reading his instructions to Lewis and Clark on cataloging important points of geography on their trip, presentations on historical survey instruments of the day, a narrated ArcGlobe virtual flyover of the entire historic Lewis and Clark Trail, numerous presentations about the use of GIS technologies along the trail and an interactive "Montana to Mars" presentation correlating exploration of 200 years ago to the current exploration of space.

The centerpiece of the event in Washington, D.C., was a large multiagency exhibit that demonstrated how geospatial technologies support federal agencies in achieving goals. It also illustrated how multiple agencies are working together with partners, such as the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC), toward a common National Spatial Data Infrastructure to support a safe and sustainable America. The event was aimed at showcasing GIS activities across the federal government, while educating hundreds of area school students about geography and geospatial technology. The event also featured information sessions that focused on a variety of federal geospatial topics such as Geospatial One-Stop and other e-government initiatives, The National Map, the Federal Enterprise Architecture and additional current issues.

Interactive panel discussions held by the Council for Excellence in Government also discussed various government topics. The discussions provided a platform for discussing real-world issues affecting future directions for geospatially enabling government. Dave McClure, vice president of the Council for Excellence in Government, and Dan Chenok, bureau chief of the Office of Management and Budget, opened the discussions. Panelists included representatives from FGDC, STIA, the Urban and Regional Information Systems Association and ESRI.

Government agencies turn to GIS as a tool for increased communication and work efficiency. More information about GIS and the federal government is available at Web site.