Southwestern plans GIS offerings in Curry County

Curry County recently launched a Geographical Information Systems Web site for public use, and Southwestern Oregon Community College is providing classes and workshops in Curry County to teach residents how to use this increasingly popular tool.

In the Introduction to Geographical Information Systems (CS 125 GIS) class, students can learn to use the GIS program to assemble, input and access GIS data sets and information. This class is scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon on Mondays and Wednesdays throughout Spring Term – which begins April 2 – at the Southwestern Gold Beach Center. This offering is ideal for college students and those using GIS as a tool at their places of employment. The 11-week class can be taken for credit for $244 or for personal interest only (receiving no college credit) for $151.

Southwestern also is offering Introduction to GIS Web Sites, a series of free two-hour workshops specifically for those seeking an overview on the principals and practices of extracting information from GIS Web sites. Students in this workshop will learn to locate tax lot boundaries, aerial photos and assessment information, as well as print maps on home computers.

This class is scheduled for the following locations and times:

• Pacific High School in Port Orford, 4 to 5:50 p.m. on Wednesday, May 16;
• The Southwestern Gold Beach Center, 3 to 4:50 p.m. and 6 to 7:50 p.m. on Tuesday, May 15; and
• The Southwestern Brookings Center, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on May 14, July 16 and Oct. 8.

For more information or to pre-register, those interested can contact the Gold Beach Center at (541) 247-2741 or the Brookings Center at (541) 469-5017.

Press Release Date: March 19 , 2007