Mapping Micro-Credential 2026-27
APPLICATION DEADLINE: January 25, 2027
Critical Mapping Tools for the Public Humanities
Course Description
The Public Humanities Practicum invites graduate students, faculty, and staff in any humanities field to apply for a micro-credential course in Critical Mapping Tools for the Public Humanities to take place over 6 weekly sessions between April 5 and May 14. Taught by Northwestern mapping librarian and GIS Specialist Mech Frazier and Kaplan’s Public Humanities Postdoc Jayme Collins, the course will invite students to engage with theoretical frameworks and practical digital mapping tools for creating public-facing maps to support spatial public humanities projects. Participants will learn how to use tools including ArcGIS Online, StoryMaps, and Allmaps, as well as how to access, understand, and use common GIS data types and historical maps in public mapping projects. Participants will leave the course with an initial draft of a digital map as well as a toolbox of methods and resources for continuing to develop their project. This micro-credential is limited to 17 participants. Graduate students, faculty, and staff are invited to apply (preference is given to Public Humanities Practicum students). Only those who can attend all the workshops should apply. Participants will need to bring their own laptop and charger to sessions.
Learning Outcomes
- Explain how maps represent and shape interpretations of place, history, and spatial relationships. Be able to recognize choices, assumptions, and biases embedded in maps.
- Locate, evaluate, prepare, and document spatial data from a variety of sources for use in a digital mapping project.
- Create effective web maps using ArcGIS Online by selecting appropriate data, symbology, basemaps, and visual design strategies.
- Develop a digital spatial story using ArcGIS StoryMaps by combining maps, text, media, and imagery.
Sessions
All sessions take place from 10:30am to 12:30pm
April 6, 2027—Maps as Arguments: Introduction to GIS and Digital Mapping
This lesson will begin with introductions and an overview of GIS and mapmaking. We will examine how maps are used as tools of communication that represent interpretations of both natural and human-made environments. Through a selection of historical and digital maps, participants will consider how maps communicate ideas, reflect perspectives, and shape our understanding of place. These examples will provide a foundation for a broader discussion of critical cartography.
April 13, 2027—From Data to Map: Finding, Preparing, and Visualizing Spatial Data
This lesson will introduce common GIS data types and explore how to find, evaluate, prepare, and add spatial data to a digital map. Participants will create a spreadsheet of points of interest using coordinates gathered from Google Maps and import the data into ArcGIS Online. We will then visualize these points alongside other spatial data collected from open data portals and consider how choices in symbology, basemaps, and visual design affect the way data is communicated.
April 20, 2027—Mapping the Past: Historical Maps and Georeferencing
This lesson will introduce the process of georeferencing historical maps and explore how georeferenced materials can be used in research and digital projects. Participants will learn about IIIF standards and the browser-based georeferencing tool Allmaps. By the end of this lesson, you will have a basic understanding of control points and how to overlay data on a historical map.
April 27, 2027—Mapping Movement: Migration, Travel, and Spatial Narratives
What does it mean to map movement? In this lesson, participants will learn different approaches to representing travel, migration, and connections between places. We will first use Sketch tools in ArcGIS Online to manually create routes and connections between places. Then, we will use Map Tour in ArcGIS StoryMaps as a way to present movement through a sequence of locations. We will also take this opportunity to create popups that incorporate images and text.
May 4, 2027—From Map to Story: Introduction to StoryMaps
What is data storytelling, and what makes a spatial story different from a web map? In this lesson, participants will learn how to create and customize their own spatial story using ArcGIS StoryMaps, a digital narrative platform that ingests text, images, web maps, and more. We will focus this lesson on identifying the different tools and techniques available to you in StoryMaps to build a compelling spatial story.
May 11, 2027—Project Share and Discussion
Micro-credential participants are invited to share and discuss in-progress projects and lessons learned from the workshop series over refreshments.
Eligibility
Graduate students, faculty, and staff in any humanities or humanistic social sciences discipline. Preference is given to students in the Public Humanities Practicum but extra seats are held for those not in the practicum.
Application deadline
January 25, 2027
Application instructions
Apply via this Microsoft Forms link:
Microsoft form contents:
- Contact, affiliation info (program, faculty/student/staff, etc.)
- Are you able to attend all the workshop meetings?
- Why do you want to take this micro-credential? How will it support your work?
- The micro-credential will guide you through initial phases of a public humanities mapping project; even if you are still ascertaining the shape of your project, please describe as much as you can about the mapping project you’d like to delve into.