Mapping Justice
Student: Olivia Zhang
Organization: Trubel&Co
Geospatial tools are becoming increasingly important for understanding environmental risk along the Gulf Coast. As a Programs & GIS Intern at trubel&co, Olivia Zhang supported youth education and data storytelling to help communities use GIS to explore challenges and tools for impact. Her internship was supported by the University of Florida Gulf Scholars Program.
Through her work, Olivia helped strengthen curriculum, technical support, and program operations for two major initiatives focused on environmental justice and conservation learning, expanding access to geospatial skills for students interested in place-based problem solving.
Storytelling with Data
A key part of Olivia’s internship was supporting Mapping Justice: Gulf Coast, a summer program where high school students learn GIS basics while exploring environmental issues across the Gulf region. Olivia contributed to curriculum development and behind-the-scenes program support, but was especially inspired by the student projects. These demonstrated how quickly young people can use spatial data to identify patterns and communicate community needs.
Olivia also supported another program, Data Storytelling for Environmental Action (DSEA). The program combined GIS, data analysis, and digital storytelling to help participants communicate environmental issues clearly and persuasively. She helped develop instructional materials on using ArcGIS Online and provided GIS and data support throughout the program.
Why It Matters
GIS makes environmental challenges visible—showing where impacts are concentrated, which communities are most affected, and how resources are distributed. When students and community members learn how to work with geospatial data, they gain practical tools to advocate for environmental justice in their communities.
Olivia’s work helps build long-term capacity for Gulf Coast communities to understand environmental conditions and communicate priorities in ways that agencies, partners, and decision-makers can act on.
Impact and Future Plans
During the summer, Olivia presented on Mapping Justice and trubel&co’s mission at the Society for Conservation GIS (SCGIS) Annual Conference and attended the Esri User Conference, where she engaged with sessions on equity, social justice, and emerging geospatial AI tools. She also shared her research at the 2025 Gulf Scholars Conference, at the University of South Alabama.
She was also excited to see Mapping Justice support youth in Broward County, connecting her professional work to her home community in South Florida.
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