GIS Training for Cultural Resources from the NPS CRGIS Facility

The National Park Service's Cultural Resources GIS Facility (CRGIS) teaches people who look after historic places how to use geographic information systems (GIS) to record, map and maintain data on cultural resources.

The record

Between 1997 and 2024 CRGIS ran about 55 classes for more than 2,000 students. Its courses on GIS modelling for cultural resources have moved from Esri's ArcMap 10.x to ArcGIS Pro. It continues to offer introductory and advanced GIS training, and hosts GIS roundtable discussions and GIS field schools on applying the technology to cultural resources and place-based heritage.

Courses with the National Preservation Institute

CRGIS teaches ArcGIS for cultural resource work in partnership with the National Preservation Institute (NPI). Three courses are offered:

• An introduction to ArcGIS for cultural resources.
• Advanced GIS for cultural resources.
• The importance of mapping cultural resources, and how ArcGIS is used to do it.

The two organisations also run a Cultural Resources GIS Roundtable.

A class at your own site

On request, CRGIS can hold an advanced ArcGIS class remotely, at the requesting organisation's own facility or at another convenient place. In person, classes usually take up to 16 students, one or two to a computer for hands-on exercises, and run for two full days unless agreed otherwise.

Costs depend on the location and other circumstances and are negotiated case by case. Extra costs, such as renting computers or the instructor's travel and salary, depend on the facility chosen and other factors; in most cases, CRGIS says, they are negligible.

CRGIS also offers field instruction in GPS, and courses in collecting and processing data. To arrange training, contact CRGIS through its page on nps.gov.

Sources

• National Park Service, Cultural Resources GIS Facility, "CRGIS Training." https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/crgis_services.htm
• CRGIS: https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1094/index.htm