Since 2015, thousands of university students across the world have joined the YouthMappers network, creating and using open geospatial data to address local and global development challenges. At over 410 universities in 78 countries—including 60 chapters in 18 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean—student-led YouthMappers chapters leverage free, open-source geospatial tools to map their communities and priority regions. This presentation explores the confluence of factors that have enabled university youth spanning diverse identities, academic backgrounds, and languages to successfully engage in YouthMappers activities and with the broader open mapping community. The presentation also discusses the challenges that YouthMappers students face in applying open mapping methods and tools to their work. It features the lived experiences of YouthMappers students, particularly in the Latin American context, and foregrounds topics of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility.

YouthMappers chapters collaborate with the US Agency for International Development, humanitarian organizations like the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team, local and federal governments, NGOs, and other partners to address gaps in geospatial data. Students map areas both in person using open survey tools and remotely using satellite imagery. Ultimately, the open data that they collect and publish power development interventions, disaster response, and digital ecosystem growth, largely in low- and middle-income countries. The key to the YouthMappers network’s expansive growth and impact is its sense of community. For many students, YouthMappers is their initial introduction to open GIS software and its real-world applications. Students build their open mapping skills through peer-to-peer learning within the network and with mentorship from individuals in the larger FOSS4G ecosystem.

As a testament to the power of the network, YouthMappers students have collectively contributed over 24 million edits to OpenStreetMap since 2015. Advancements in open mapping software, such as improved options for low-connectivity environments and non-English-speaking users, have enabled YouthMappers students from a greater range of backgrounds to participate in open mapping. The YouthMappers network has also contributed to building FOSS4G tools, such as OSM Teams. This presentation highlights these successes and calls for continued mutually beneficial partnerships between YouthMappers chapters and the broader FOSS4G community.

This talk is rooted in a book chapter of the same name co-authored by the three presenters. The chapter will be published in the forthcoming open-access book Open Movements: Recognizing Challenges and Building Connections.