Key Facts
Dates: July 13, 2026 - July 17, 2026
Age Group: 14 – 18-year-olds
Areas of Study: History, Technology, Government
Experience: Daytime
Cost: $650.00
Note: The GIS Mapping experience was incorrectly listed as a residential experience priced at $1,650 previously. This experience is non-residential and priced at $650. We apologize for the confusion this may have caused.
Experiences: Applicants choose their top two program options. Aviation (Daytime) may be paired with one Residential experience, as it runs the week after Residential programs.
Tentative Schedule
Daily Structure
- Morning sessions focus on conceptual understanding through discussion and case studies
- Afternoon sessions provide hands-on experience with professional GIS software*
Time | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AM | What is a map? Power & representation | Maps as cultural guides (historical + modern) | Coordinates, surveying, land division | GPS, tracking, mapping & the state | Politics of maps (GIS case studies) |
PM | Intro to GIS (core concepts + software) | Field data collection (SW Maps; weather dependent) | GIS data entry & measurements | Spatial queries & linking datasets (SQL) | Map production & final reflection |
*Technical Requirements
- Participants must have access to a phone capable of running "SW Maps" (free app)
- Computers with GIS software will be provided
Get to Know Your Professor
Arnold Schober
Arnold Shober is a professor of Government at Lawrence University, where he teaches classes in public policy, media, research methods, and political parties. Prof. Shober holds a Ph.D. from UW-Madison and has published three books and many articles on American education policy. His interest in maps dates to middle school where he was part of a losing team in a map competition. Since then, he has used them to explain how school districts try to attract students, how state legislatures draw district lines, and how to find just the right tree in an orchard.