The document discusses MiniMapathons, which are mapathons for children. It describes how over 200 elementary school children in Italy were introduced to humanitarian mapping by mapping buildings in Swaziland to help with malaria elimination. The results were incredible, with over 40,000 edits, 1,000 changesets, and 5,000 buildings mapped in just a few hours. The children were passionate about helping locals and some did not want to stop mapping. Teachers found the children developed a deeper understanding of mapping and humanitarian projects through participating. The MiniMapathons showed that children have the skills to build accurate maps and that mapping is a valuable educational tool.

1. MiniMapathon (Mapathons for kids)
at PoliMI
Maria Antonia Brovelli
(GEOLab)

2. Anyone can use the OpenStreetMap data for their own
purposes, even commercial ones. The only requirements
are that you must credit OpenStreetMap and its
contributors when you use the data and that you
must release any improvements you make to the data
under a similar license (Open Data Commons Open
Database License (ODbL)
Collaborative Mapping: OpenStreetMap
Freedom:
To share
To create
To adapt
Requirements:
To attribute
To share-alike
To keep open

3. Contributions and contributors
OSM buildings/streets Milan 2006-15

4. Mapping Parties

5. A Mapathon is a coordinated mapping event held generally
INDOOR.
Mapathons and Humanitarian Mapathons
Step 1
Remote volunteers
trace satellite
imagery into
OpenStreetMap
Step 2
Community
volunteers add local
detail such as
neighborhoods, street
names and
evacuation centers
Step 3
Humanitarian
organisations use
mapped information
to plan risk
reduction and
disaster activities
that save lives.

6. The first time 36, the second time 212 10-year old
children from elementary schools in Como and Milan
provinces were introduced to humanitarian mapping.
MiniMapathon: the experiments

7. MiniMapathon: the aim
The aim of the
mapping was to map
buildings in the
northernmost part of
Swaziland in a project
for malaria elimination
(task #1577).

8. MiniMapathon: the results
The results of the mapathon have been incredible:
more than 40,000 edits to the map,
more than 1,000 changesets and
more than 5,000 buildings mapped
in only a few hours of work.
Knowing that their maps will be used to help local people
in Swaziland, children were simply fantastic in performing
the mapping task in a unique, passionate, and
enthusiastic way. Some of the young mappers did not
want to return to class because they had remaining
buildings to map in their task areas!

9. MiniMapathon: some logos

10. MiniMapathon: the results
According to their teachers, by participating in the
mapathon, the children developed a deeper
understanding of the issues related to mapping and
of humanitarian relief projects.
Besides representing the first
event of this kind - in terms of
number and age of the children
involved - the minimapathon has
demonstrated that children
possess all the skills to build
accurate maps and that mapping
represents an invaluable tool for
their education.

11. MiniMapathon: the awards
The certificate
and the Politecnico di
Milano cap

13. Thanks to
Marco Minghini, Aldo Torrebruno, Monia Molinari,
Barbara Di Santo, Laura Pomoni, HOT, Missing Maps, all
volunteers helping us in the MiniMapathons, the teachers
and the children!
maria.brovelli@polimi.it