Join the Lab.
Membership is open to any Georgetown student, whatever your major and whatever you already know about mapping.
The workshops start from a blank QGIS install, so no prior experience is expected. Work that members produce is published under their own names.
Fall 2026 schedule
Exact dates and rooms will be posted here.
| Phase | When | What |
|---|---|---|
| Kickoff | Early September · dates TBD | Club fair table, then the first general meeting: meet the lab, try the Atlas, and hear the plan for the semester. |
| Zero-to-Map | Mid-September to October · dates TBD | Four hands-on workshops: install QGIS and make your first map; join real data; spatial analysis; publish your layer to the Atlas. Materials are already online. |
| Project sprint | October to November · dates TBD | Teams take one policy question, gather the data, and build the next atlas in the series. |
| Showcase | Early December · date TBD | The semester’s work goes live: a new atlas, posts, and a showcase session open to everyone. |
Questions people ask
Do I need to code?
No. QGIS is point-and-click; the workshops start from
zero. If you can use a spreadsheet, you can make a map.
What does it cost?
The tools are free and open-source. Membership details are
still being worked out. Joining the interest list costs
nothing.
How much time is it?
A workshop or meeting most weeks, more if you take on a
project. Final cadence comes with the fall schedule.