A global coalition of partners are hosting mapping events at colleges, community centers and other institutions to map places around the globe, following this year’s Geography Awareness Week theme, “Explore! The Power of Maps”

OSM Institutions will host the flagship OpenStreetMap mapping party on Thursday, Nov. 19, from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. EST at Peace Corps headquarters in Washington, D.C., with the goal of actively contributing to OpenStreetMap. Admission is free, but interested individuals should RSVP online.

On the local level, grassroots organizers around the world are holding over 83 events at local schools and community centers during OSMGeoWeek. If you are organizing an event, or even thinking about it, get in touch at mapgive@state.gov.

There are a collection of 12 featured Mapping Projects to work on during the week. Organizers and participants can choose projects that strike their interest, most all on the theme ,"Explore! The Power of Maps". As the week progresses, we'll add animations and stats to visualize progress.

The Guides are a collection of resources for planning and hosting a local event, and for participants at the event to learn and contribute to OSM. We are also supporting TeachOSM, a resource for educators to bring OSM into the classroom.

For more details about Geography Awareness Week, its history, and more information about this year’s theme, “Explore! The Power of Maps” take a look at National Geographic’s Geography Awareness Week homepage. Follow #osmgeoweek for updates during the week, and share your experiences using the #osmgeoweek hashtag.