Welcome to the Umap website, a clearinghouse of information on how to conduct community mapping with and for children and youth growing up in urban areas.
Maps tell stories about places and people’s connections to those places. Umap is a unique model that allows communities to use maps to share what they know about where they live. Umap brings youth and adults together in partnership to give voice to youth perceptions and improve the quality of life for all citizens.
U are the expert of your community. Tell your story. The Umap process helps you to create visual representations of what you know and want to be known about your everyday life. Using maps you can communicate with others what issues affect your world and identify the best actions for change. Umap projects tackle issues of safety, access to recreation and physical activity, affordable housing, and other topics important to young people growing up in cities.
Umap is grounded in positive youth development and youth civic engagement principles and is aligned with the United Nations Child Friendly Cities movement. A child and youth friendly city guarantees every young citizen the right to influence decisions about their city and express their opinions about the city they want.
This website is an educational resource and tool to walk you through a Umap process. The website contains sample projects for city agencies, geography teachers, public health practitioners, youth serving organizations, and youth commissions. On this website you will find training manuals for adult facilitators and young people, as well as sample maps, and other educational resources on community mapping.
Sample projects for:
Public health practitioners - Children's Guide to Physical Activity
Geography and social studies teachers - Neighborhood Atlas Project
City agencies and youth serving organizations - Safe City - Metro Denver Gang Coalition
Youth commissions and councils - Child & Youth Friendly Cities
For more information, contact Pamela Wridt at pamela.wridt@ucdenver.edu or (303) 556-3472.