Community Engaged Scholarship: A case study with GIS asset mapping of Merced

Community Engaged Scholarship (CES) is an ever-evolving partnership between an institution and its community. The collaboration allows for a mutually beneficial exchange in knowledge, which is critical in addressing health disparities. In an effort to reduce the health disparities in Merced County, stakeholders from the community and the university worked together to use Geographic Information System (GIS) to visually display the distribution of resources and health outcomes. Undergraduates at the University of California, Merced conducted key informant interviews with the Merced County Board of Supervisors as well as with other community stakeholders. A master list of resources and indicators to map was formed and organized. The mapping was then completed by undergraduates at the University with guidance from GIS experts within the County. The current results include multiple maps of the community assets and a GIS conference for the community, displaying the current progress of the project. The reciprocal partnership of Community Engages Scholarship proved to be the basis of establishing a successful GIS project.