UON Geo-Walk Recap

Hey Local Guides,

This is the first official meet-up that I have ever hosted. It was a follow up to the local guides program presentation I made back in December 2017 at my alma mater, the School of Engineering at the University of Nairobi to sensitize students about the program and its importance. On 14th April 2018 from about 9:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m, 27 students managed to show-up for the meet-up even though 23 signed up. Some of them were hearing about the program for the first time and the rest already knew about the program from the session in December.

Hosting a meet-up for the first time made me a bit anxious because of fears that no one would show up or the meet-up just not going-on as planned. I am so glad this meet up exceeded my expectations and was overall a very nostalgic experience for me since six years prior, during the Google mapmaker days, I remember being part of such a meet-ups a.k.a mapping parties in the same University & venue (as we used to refer to them back them) that had been organized by some of the Google student ambassadors to map different places in Kenya on Google maps #Goodtimes (see photo below).

I liaised with one student leader and a few other students that I knew to help spread the word throughout the school about the meetup.

For particularly new local guides, it was important for me to introduce them to Google maps contributions in a fun & easy way. I found asking them to make 5 different contributions for at least 5 different places in the campus by adding all of the following for the particular places: reviews, ratings, photos and edits (when applicable), easy and exciting. The meet-up was carried in two sessions: ratings, reviews, edits, adding missing places were done in a lecture room because of the strong campus WIFI, then the last session was winded up by a photo walk within the compound of the school of engineering. I also gave the students a chance to experience Virtual reality through the limited edition Local Guide Summit 2017 Google Cardboard since it was such a big hit during my presentation back in December and also shared some of the souvenirs/ local guides stickers I got from Local Guide Summit 2017.

Some of the highlights particularly under reviews were: the buildings with the fastest WIFI, best cafeterias in the campus, closing/opening hours for various offices within the campus, just to mention a few. At the end of the day, over 100 reviews & ratings were added, 10 or more new places (most of the new missing places were not applied<this need to be investigated), a few edits and several photos were added too.

I look forward to hosting other meet-ups in future.

Please check out a post written by one of the newbies who attended the meetup on Saturday through this link .https://www.localguidesconnect.com/t5/General-Discussion/Wake-Up-Call-to-Map/m-p/748606#M206172

The previous post on the presentation made back on 19th December 2017. https://www.localguidesconnect.com/t5/General-Discussion/LOCAL-GUIDE-PROGRAM-SENSITIZATION-MEET-UP/m-p/578491

#LetsGuide

Uon Geo-Walk

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@InnocensiaO ! This is so awesome! Congrats on your first official meet-up and breaking through that anxiety to host what seemed to be an awesome and insightful experience for everyone involved. They all seemed to be really into the LG program, and seems like there were a lot of great edits and contributions made. :slight_smile: Now they will take what they’ve learned to inspire others as well!

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The activity was a success. We learnt a lot on how to put into practicality what you taught us on the December meet up. I’m really grateful and look forward to more meetings in future on matters Local Guides. Good Work Innocensia👍

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Thank you @SP31 . It is really great that you read the post. I was a bit apprehensive because I wasn’t sure whether students would show up because there’s currently a Public university lecturer’s strike in the country. I was totally blown away by the interest and was pleasantly surprised when one of the attendees also recapped the event on connect after joining the program on the day of the meet-up.

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Thank you @Kiprotich great to see that you are active here and your valuable assistance too in putting this meet-up together.

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@InnocensiaO Wow! This is most impressive. Congratulations! Have you seen this? @KarenVChin

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Thank you @U-royFelixA . I’m sure you have hosted a couple of meetups, do you remember how the first one you hosted was?

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Great Recap @InnocensiaO . I am sure your meetup was awesome. I hope to visit your country someday.

Greetings from Nepal

Niraj

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Thanks @NirajBhusal , I will one day visit Nepal too and hopefully will meet then, and you will give me tips on how to successfully climb Mt Everest, now that you are a Mountaineering Liaison Training Officer.

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Thumbs up @InnocensiaO , job well done, you executed your duties as a leader excellently, can’t wait to join the next Local guides meet up.

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Thank you @LovelyGrace , I hope I’ll see you in the next one.

Hey @InnocensiaO , nice to see you here, and so active.

First meetup hosted is a very special experience, with a lot of energy, preparation, but let say this seems to be not the first one you are hosting, due to the quality of the contents.

The video is interesting, showing curious people. I know you have a special attention for school, this is great.

I am also happy that you were using the Cardboard coming from #LGSummit17. - Great, love it. I can imagine @KarenVChin smiling, in read it

Please note that I am moving your post in the Meetup board, for everone to enjoy it

Ermes

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Thank you @ErmesT it was indeed a special experience and seeing returnees who had attended the previous meet up was really encouraging. The Google cardboard was interesting to them just as it was last time.

Thank you for moving the post to correct board.

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Thanks @InnocensiaO

You are welcome, we are here to help

please note that I have unaccepted the “solution” given by you, because your post don’t need a solution. please read: Tip: How to mark replies as solutions — “Accept as Solution” feature

Sincerly

Ermes

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Thank you for the link on solutions @ErmesT I thought that was the right action, at least now I know better.

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Oh, @InnocensiaO

Someone is fighting for a “solution” badge, but the solution should be a flag to help others. If you need help, our community will do the best in offering a solution to you

The meetup was an awesome experience for me. Thank you @InnocensiaO for unveiling a new window of opportunity in my final year in campus. Can’t wait for the next meet up you will organise to share my joy with other local guides. Otherwise let us live up to the Wake up Call to map our beautiful world.

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Thank you @nicowanjala , I was happy that you also posted about the meetup on Saturday.

I, now know where to go when I need guidance when on this platform, thanks again @ErmesT .

Hey @InnocensiaO , congrats, your first time is what you will always remember! Looks like you had a awesome time and with even a bigger turnout. Usually, it is the other way around, with less or no one shows up.

I believe you have an iPhone / iPad, right? You can take a snippet of your GEO walk and incorporate it in your Connect Live, assuming you will be applying, right?!, 1 minute video application using iMovie. Plus you can easily record your voice and add and edit it into your video like you did with your music. It’s just another track to add.

Thanks @ErmesT @U-royFelixA for tagging me. Yes, I am excited to see and watch @InnocensiaO first meetup!

Cheers,

Karen

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