Join the Lab.
Whether you’ve never opened a mapping tool or you dream in coordinates, there’s a place for you here. One form, two minutes, and we’ll be in touch about everything below.
Open to everyone
All students, every school and major. Policy people who
want technical skills, technical people who want real
questions.
No experience needed
Our Zero-to-Map workshops assume nothing. The software
we teach (QGIS) is free, and you’ll ship your first map
in the first session.
Your name on real work
Members publish to the Atlas, the Map Wall, and Posts
— credited, public, and resume-ready.
Fall 2026 schedule
The shape of the semester. Exact dates and rooms will be posted here and sent to everyone on the interest list.
| Phase | When | What |
|---|---|---|
| Kickoff | Early September · dates TBD | Club fair table and the first general meeting — meet the lab, drive the Atlas, hear the semester plan. |
| Zero-to-Map | Mid-September–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. |
| Project sprint | October–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 — 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 being finalized — 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.