New Global Storytelling Competition Encourages Public Involvement in Sustainable Development
August 6, 2020 – Esri , the global leader in location intelligence, and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), a leading NGO working to mobilize global scientific and technological expertise for sustainable development, today launched the 2020 ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition for the Sustainable Development Goals .
In 2015, 193 world leaders agreed to an ambitious set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs ) to be achieved by 2030. These goals function as a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all, addressing issues such as poverty, hunger, gender equality, and climate change. The competition encourages data-driven storytelling and the use of timely geospatial data and GIS tools to educate and engage communities globally about the SDGs.
According to Jeffrey Sachs, President, SDSN, “Today’s leaders in sustainable development require skills in the rapidly expanding range of geospatial data and GIS tools, as well as the ability to convey geographic information in stories and maps that advance the public understanding.”
ArcGIS StoryMaps allows storytellers to integrate maps, data, and other multimedia content with text to tell a narrative about the world's greatest challenges and highlight or inspire solutions. Esri and SDSN invite both professionals and students to build and submit stories to the 2020 ArcGIS Storyaps Competition through November 25, 2020. Story submissions must be created with Esri’s storytelling platform and address one or more SDGs.
"Maps reveal patterns and trends by placing them in a geographic context and that helps us to better understand the world,” said Jack Dangermond, Esri founder and president. “Our goal with this competition is to inspire hundreds of professionals and students to combine insightful maps with rich multimedia to tell stories that enable us to envision a sustainable, just, and peaceful future."
Esri’s Storymaps team will select 20 finalists from all qualified submissions, 10 finalists from the professional track and 10 finalists from the student track. Guest judges will select first, second, and third place winners in each track. The four guest judges include: Jeffrey Sachs, President, SDSN; Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, SDG Advocate and Environmental Activist; Alex Tait, The Geographer at The National Graphic Society; and Dawn Wright, Chief Scientist, Esri. Winners will be announced in February 2021. Each winner will be featured on SDSN’s SDGs Today: The Global Hub for Real-Time SDG Data , a new open access data portal that features timely data (updated regularly, at least once every year) on sustainable development measures.
For more information and to submit a story, visit the ArcGIS StoryMaps website.
About the Sustainable Development Solutions Network
The UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) was established in 2012 under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General. SDSN mobilizes global scientific and technological expertise to promote practical solutions for sustainable development, including the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Climate Agreement. SDSN works closely with United Nations agencies, multilateral financing institutions, the private sector, and civil society.
About Esri
Esri, the global market leader in geographic information system (GIS) software, location intelligence, and mapping, offers the most powerful geospatial cloud available, to help customers unlock the full potential of data to improve operational and business results. Founded in 1969, Esri software is deployed in more than 350,000 organizations including 90 of the Fortune 100 companies, all 50 state governments, more than half of all counties (large and small), and 87 of the Forbes Top 100 Colleges in the U.S., as well as all 15 Executive Departments of the U.S. Government and dozens of independent agencies. With its pioneering commitment to geospatial information technology, Esri engineers the most advanced solutions for digital transformation, the Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced analytics.
Media Contacts:
Cheyenne Maddox ( cheyenne.maddox@unsdsn.org)
Sustainable Development Solutions Network ( sdgstoday@unsdsn.org)
Esri Contact:
Jo Ann Pruchniewski
Public Relations, Esri
Mobile: 301-693-2643
Email: jpruchniewski@esri.com
