Our lives depend on our neighborhoods. But we lack high quality information about where to go for the resources we need most. MAPSCorps engages youth to close the information gap so we can access the resources we all need to do good, stay well and live long.
Mission
We train youth to produce high quality data about community assets that everyone can use to improve the human condition.
Meaningful Youth Employment
High school and college students are employed as community data scientists, and we train them to apply research methods and utilize mobile technology to capture data about their community. They then use their collected data alongside other publicly available data sources to draw meaningful conclusions and advocate for community change.
Community Vitality & Visibility
Our data boost local economies by making public-facing businesses and organizations that have been unnoticed visible on the map. Since 2007, we’ve mapped more than 40,000 businesses and organizations in Chicago, Harlem, Detroit, Evanston, Honolulu and Rocky Mount, North Carolina.
Get assets that everyone can use!
3000+ Meaningful, Active, Productive work experiences for local high school youth and college-age mentors since 2009
History
Meaningful, Active, Productive Science in Service to Communities
MAPSCorps is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based on Chicago’s South Side where the idea was born. The organization grew out of the South Side Health and Vitality Studies, led by the research laboratory of Stacy Tessler Lindau, MD, MAPP, at the University of Chicago.
Dr. Lindau’s interdisciplinary lab uses an asset-based, community-engaged approach to engineer solutions to injustice. Beginning in 2009, in collaboration with a broad range of community stakeholders and university researchers, this work gave life to the MAPSCorps program, now in its eighth consecutive year providing meaningful work experience and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math and Health) training to high school youth.
In 2016, MAPSCorps became an independent nonprofit, with successful programs covering nearly half of Chicago and several ZIP codes of Harlem and the Bronx in New York City. Since then, MAPSCorps has expanded in Chicago, Detroit, Niagara Falls, and the counties of Nash, Edgecombe, and Watauga in North Carolina. MAPSCorps also helped inspire the Local Asset Mapping Program in the Liberties area of Dublin, Ireland.
Published Research
Comments From the South Side of Chicago on New Haven’s Inspiring Initiative - American Journal of Public Health
Are your asset data as good as you think? Conducting a comprehensive census of built assets to improve urban population health - Journal of Urban Health
Our Communities
MAPSCorps promotes health and economic vitality by producing high quality, community-based data that everyone can use. MAPSCorps data are being used by doctors, educators, nurses, social workers, community planners, governments and residents.
- MAPPED IN PROGRESS NOT MAPPED
Engaging youth as data scientists to improve the human condition.
Our Partners
We partner with high schools, universities, and community-based organizations to provide meaningful work experiences for the youth and high-quality data for the communities we serve.
Closing the information gap while providing meaningful employment experience for youth.
Impact
Youth
MAPSCorps students become confident and capable communicators and meet high standards as they develop college and career readiness skills. Youth are challenged to apply their best critical thinking skills to the scientific, health, and civic engagement components of the MAPSCorps experience.
Click here to see the winning research project from the 2022 Symposium
Community
MAPSCorps produces high quality data about all the businesses and organizations in targeted communities. These data are used by community-based organizations, educators, healthcare professionals, policymakers, researchers, entrepreneurs, residents, and others for better health, well-being and economic vitality.
NowPow
NowPow is an information technology, social enterprise company co-located with MAPSCorps on Chicago’s South Side. NowPow uses MAPSCorps data to connect the caring community (doctors, nurses, social workers, case managers and others) to information about community resources.
Learn MoreCook County Land Bank
MAPSCorps partners with the Cook County Land Bank Authority (CCLBA) to inventory the condition of vacant and distressed properties in Chicago. CCLBA uses the information to promote redevelopment and reuse of the properties to revitalize communities.
Learn MoreChicago Health Atlas
MAPSCorps youth scientists generate valuable data that are published to the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) Chicago Health Atlas portal. Community members and organizations can use the tool to look up health resources available in their communities.
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