As one of the deliverables of the She Leads and She Inspires project "Mapping for Cultural Sustainability", the organization of a local YouthMappers chapter in UP Mindanao signified the start of youth-led open mapping efforts in the Southeastern part of Mindanao. The university was chosen to host the rise of the first YouthMappers chapter in the Davao region in part due to the institution's reputation of being a center of development and innovation in the region. With its roster of highly capable and enthusiastic undergraduate and graduate students, the UP Mindanao YouthMappers* was born. The academic organization, with the mission of enhancing the skills of its members in the field of open mapping and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) or Geospatial Technology, is now slowly starting to carve its mark in the UP Mindanao community by introducing the value of open mapping through trainings and mapathons and opening doors for research collaborations through GIS workshops and consultations.

This talk will focus on introducing the UP Mindanao YouthMappers to the open mapping community of the Philippines as well as share its journey, the activities that have been conducted by its founding members and the organization's plans for the near future. This talk will also hopefully open opportunities for collaboration with other YouthMappers chapters and different OSM communities in the Philippines.

Disclaimer: Although the organization has already been acknowledged and recognized by the UP Mindanao Office of Student Affairs, as of October 15, 2023, it is still waiting for the official recognition from the YouthMappers network. Application and submission of complete requirements had already been processed in the month of September.