GIS For Good Movement: Mapping What Matters with RomoGIS
- Frank Romo
- Oct 21
- 10 min read
RomoGIS
RomoGIS is a geospatial company known for its innovative community organizing. We are a leader in geographic information systems (GIS), drone technology, and data analytics. RomoGIS transforms data into actionable insights, driving informed decision-making, operational efficiency, and sustainable custom solutions for businesses, government agencies, educational institutions, and community organizations.
Our technical solutions are designed to empower people and organizations with the infrastructure, know-how, and tools to harness the power of technology for social change. We have helped to build capacity for more than 50 nonprofit organizations through customized GIS tools and training programs. Whether it’s supporting public safety initiatives, managing critical data, or training the next generation of GIS professionals, RomoGIS is committed to delivering impactful geospatial solutions.
We have trained over 2,000 learners of all ages in GIS. We teach our students how to access power by using data, technology and entrepreneurship to create the change they wish to see in their local communities. RomoGIS facilitates GIS For Good opportunities for individuals to enhance their GIS skills, build community, and gain more confidence in their abilities of turning data into action. Our GIS For Good programs are aimed at developing leaders in the industry at all levels through comprehensive personal and professional development opportunities. Our GIS For Good leaders enact change through their data skills, storytelling, and subject matter expertise.
“Building pathways for youth to see themselves as leaders who can transform their communities through technology”
- RomoGIS
We are on a mission to educate and equip more leaders with the tools, skills and opportunities to amplify their voice and advance community-led solutions. Our vision is that all community members can harness the transformative power of maps, data and technology for social good. We are excited to share RomoGIS’s GIS For Good Movement initiatives below!
St. Louis, MO
In North St. Louis, our GIS For Good program supported disaster recovery after a devastating tornado. As a quick response, we collaborated with LOVE the LOU to train students to use drone technology and digital mapping tools in order to better meet community needs, perform damage assessments, and support local recovery efforts. Layering emergency data with community knowledge highlighted both where physical destruction occurred and where populations were at heightened risk. This helped decision-makers allocate food, medical supplies, and temporary housing in ways that were both efficient and effective. By elevating local knowledge alongside technical mapping, the project reinforces RomoGIS’s GIS For Good aim of using maps to improve lives, strengthen neighborhoods and create a safer, more resilient future.
Through our continued partnership with LOVE the LOU, we are equipping more people with the skills to document their own expertise, leverage spatial data, and create powerful maps that drive neighborhood transformation and create long-term impact. By participating in our GIS For Good training programs, local St. Louis community leaders like Terrance Williams developed in-demand professional skills that can expand their future employment opportunities and can position them to assist in securing funding for the community’s rebuilding efforts.
This summer, we trained over 100 local learners on how to use urban planning tools along with GIS and drone technologies to create solutions for rebuilding the neighborhood. Through this process, high school students stepped into leadership roles, guiding younger peers through mapping activities, while elders tried drone flight for the first time. This intergenerational exchange reflected the heart of our GIS For Good Movement, which is bringing people together across age and experience to learn, teach, and build capacity for community-led change.
Our GIS For Good Movement continues to grow in its impact on workforce development, community leadership, and disaster recovery efforts in St. Louis. We are thankful for our partnership with LOVE the LOU and community leaders that make this work possible, including Brian Monheiser and Kim Plank . Our East Los Angeles Community College intern Jonnie Robles also contributed significantly to this GIS For Good initiative and led a poster presentation at the 2025 Esri User Conference to share our work. To learn more about our GIS For Good in Action programs in St. Louis, check out our StoryMap .
The Bronx, NY
In The Bronx, our GIS For Good programming focuses on youth-led public safety innovation and civic engagement. Through our partnership with the Angellyh Yambo Foundation and La Central YMCA , we collaborate with local schools, business improvement districts, and advocacy groups to amplify student voices and guide positive urban environment changes in The Bronx. Our Leadership and Community Mapping program teaches local youth to turn their local knowledge and expertise into actionable data by analyzing their neighborhoods, identifying safety concerns, and proposing improvements for public spaces.
At the beginning of the program, student leaders explored their neighborhood on foot with local historian Alexandra Maruri . Then, through urban planning, spatial analysis, and digital storytelling workshops, students used GIS mapping and Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to identify community needs, reimagine public spaces, and build safe routes to school in an effort to support local community safety efforts. For example, student leaders designed a Youth-focused Community Center with space to do homework, host community gatherings, and support local business with vendor spaces.
The Leadership and Community Mapping program culminated in final presentations that showcased our students’ GIS skills, highlighted their local expertise and provided solutions to improve public safety in key community spaces. Students presented to local community leaders and decision-makers, including The Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark . By presenting data and AI renderings alongside community voices, students learned that they could tell their own stories and influence policymakers to push for systemic change. The vision of our program is to create a support system for youth to feel safe, heard, and encouraged to create positive change in their community.
We seek to support our students by offering pathways to economic mobility, civic action, and personal leadership. Our Leadership and Community Mapping program helped students to leverage civic engagement as a tool for social mobility and leadership, as well as urban planning tools for community impact and workforce development. Importantly, students who participated were paid for their time and expertise. Student leaders were also recognized by local news organizations, such as Norwood News for their community improvement efforts to end gun violence. Our GIS For Good initiatives with the Angellyh Yambo Foundation in The Bronx continue to demonstrate the power of community-led spatial analysis to confront inequities in community safety and inspire collective problem-solving.
Los Angeles, CA
Our GIS For Good efforts extended in response to the Los Angeles Wildfires. The RomoGIS team developed data applications for the Eaton and Palisades Wildfires to support real-time response efforts and provide accessible resources for the community to inform their decisions and actions during the destructive emergency. RomoGIS’ East Los Angeles Community College intern Christian Robles helped to build the applications to support fire response in these communities. He also presented our innovative solutions at the 2025 Esri User Conference.
Through our collaboration with Dr. Sheila Steinberg at California State University Northridge Geography Department and the Institute for Sustainability , RomoGIS has also provided multiple workshops to undergraduate students to inspire and equip them to use GIS For Good in their own communities. Additionally, while working with Dr. Janie Dam at Northridge Academy High School , our team delivered exciting demonstrations to share the world of GIS and drone technologies with students. To advance engagement in STEM education for students, we tailored relevant examples of incorporating drone technology into photography courses and geography courses. We are excited to return to Northridge to expand our collaborative GIS For Good initiatives.
Murfreesboro, TN
RomoGIS is partnering with Professor Clay Burns at Central Magnet School to implement the GIS for Good curriculum in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The program teaches 11th & 12th grade students how to leverage innovative technology to map what matters to them and effectively communicate to advance their solutions for real-world impact. During the 5-week program, students learned community mapping techniques, practiced their critical thinking skills, conducted a research project and created a digital map. Students leveraged GIS tools like ArcPro, ArcGIS Online and Storymaps to build their technical skills. They also strengthened their public speaking skills as they practiced presenting their StoryMap projects and giving constructive feedback to peers. The program culminated with student presentations on GIS Day.
As students reflected on their GIS For Good experience, they shared personal takeaways such as, “From this experience, I have learned the importance and necessity of telling people's story.” Importantly, students also expressed examples of their growth as professionals and map makers that think critically. One student shared, “I learned that if there is no layer that we want, we could make it ourselves.”
Building on the momentum of our Central Magnet School GIS For Good program, we continue to create opportunities for students to practice their skills, build their confidence, and become community leaders. For example, students joined Frank Romo on stage as Keynote Presenters at the Tennessee Geographic Information Council's (TNGIC) 2025 Conference where they shared their impressive projects with over 300 professionals from the GIS industry!
Additionally, RomoGIS has hired Central Magnet student intern Houston Rettig to continue his professional development through supporting our GIS For Good work across the country. He has gained skills in custom app development and has gained confidence as an innovative leader. Houston’s efforts also contributed to the development of the helpful dashboard application that helped the North St. Louis community respond more efficiently during disaster recovery efforts. This is one example of a student’s growth trajectory after our GIS For Good program.
We are inspired to continue our GIS For Good work with Professor Clay Burns from Central Magnet School and Professor Michael Camponovo from University of Tennessee Knoxville . Together we are supporting the creation of a statewide innovation pipeline that empowers students with comprehensive personal and professional development skills that will improve access to employment opportunities in the GIS Industry.
Detroit, MI
In Detroit, GIS is being used to ignite student leadership and economic opportunities. The GIS Pathways Program at Frederick Douglass Academy (FDA) provides a comprehensive workforce development track focused on geospatial technologies and drone operations. Our high school students train in college level GIS courses and participate in professional development opportunities to grow their confidence as leaders. Through the program students are introduced to drones, digital mapping, and spatial storytelling as tools for both personal growth and community change. We use the program to build, inspire, and encourage students to use GIS tools to better their communities and advance their professional opportunities.
This year, we added an exciting Drone Bootcamp together with Airspace Link and OHM Advisors . The aim of the bootcamp was for students to gain more experience flying drones and to better prepare for their Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate exam. Students from FDA were also invited to present about the GIS and Drone Pathways program at Huntington Place for the 2025 Association of American Geographers’ Conference!
Other professional development opportunities for FDA students include mock interviews and internships. Mock interviews teach students how to professionally interview with industry partners, including OHM Advisors, Turner Construction , Detroit Public Schools Community District , and Esri . We are grateful for the professional leaders who generously contributed their time and expertise to assist our students in this valuable experience. Importantly, students also gain paid internship experiences where they strengthen their GIS skills, contribute to meaningful projects, and continue their growth as leaders. Our RomoGIS internship empowers students like David Lockhart and Caleb Potts to support the development of their peers, strengthen their leadership skills, gain hands-on experience with projects that matter to them, and develop a meaningful growth path into high-demand tech fields.
Furthermore, the 2025 Summer Camp brought middle and high school students together for a three-day immersion where they explored how technology connects to their neighborhoods, their voices, and their futures. From the start, the camp emphasized student-centered learning. Day 1 combined drone flight with mental mapping, encouraging students to sketch their neighborhoods by hand and share their stories of places that matter most. Students then translated their drawings into digital maps, showing how GIS can elevate lived experience into actionable community data. Guest presenters, including Eastern Michigan University researchers and City of Detroit Innovation professionals , reinforced the real-world impact of GIS by connecting classroom activities to professional careers in planning, environmental science, and civic technology.
Day 2 built on these skills with geocaching challenges, drone obstacle courses, and workshops in remote sensing and LiDAR technology. These activities highlighted GIS as both fun and career-relevant, showing students how spatial tools can power city services, environmental monitoring, and disaster response. By the end of the camp, students had grown more confident in their abilities to create maps, fly drones, and pursue career opportunities in STEM fields.
The closing showcase on Day 3 brought families and partners together to witness our students’ mapping projects that addressed local issues like food access, public safety, green space, and community resilience. In these presentations, students demonstrated that they had grown from learners into emerging change-makers, using GIS and drones to analyze challenges and propose solutions for their neighborhoods. Check out the full 2025 GIS & Drone Summer Camp recap.
Get Involved
RomoGIS is excited to share our vision of GIS For Good and more opportunities to further leverage innovative technology for community empowerment and social change.
You can do this impactful work in your communities too! To bring a GIS For Good keynote or workshop to your community please fill out the GIS For Good Interest Survey or email RomoGIS CEO Frank Romo at contact@frankromo.com . We are excited to continue growing our partnerships with more educators and community leaders to share the power of the GIS For Good Movement with more changemakers. Together, let's continue to make a difference in the lives of individuals and communities as we advance the GIS For Good Movement.
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