Always wanted to know more about Virtual Kenya http://virtualkenya.org... read the 2 pager and you know!

1. SUMMARY: WHAT IS VIRTUAL KENYA VIRTUAL KENYA FEATURES
Virtual Kenya is an online interactive platform The Virtual Kenya platform features several
with related materials for those with no access to resources and tools that will be of interest to
the Internet. It is designed to provide improved many users, including high school and university
access to high quality spatial data and cutting- teachers and students, government planners, GIS
edge mapping technology to allow more Kenyans professionals and local government officials.
to use and interact with spatial data in their
educational and professional pursuits. This will These tools include:
be accomplished by providing online access to
publicly available spatial data sets and by 1. Virtual Kenya Tours using Google Earth
offering users a number of interactive tools and with 2D and 3D maps, images, and graphs
learning resources for exploring these data. to explain data from the Atlas with voice
Users both inside and outside of Kenya will be overs in an interactive and entertaining
able to view, download, publish, share, and format.
comment on various map-based products. 2. Interactive Map Viewer that allows users to
view, create, and download maps of Kenya
The ultimate goal of Virtual Kenya is to promote (See below);
increased data sharing and spatial analysis for 3. Social networking community to share GIS
better decision-making, development planning and mapping experiences among Virtual
and education in Kenya, while at the same time Kenya users;
demonstrating the potential and use of web- 4. Baseline data on Kenya's environment and
based spatial planning tools. geography in multiple file formats that are
freely available and comprehensive;
Initially, the platform will feature maps and 5. Learning resources, including a teachers
information based on Nature’s Benefits in Kenya: guide and student activity booklets, to help
An Atlas of Ecosystems and Human Well-Being educators use maps and information from
(“the Atlas”), originally published jointly in 2007 the Atlas in their classrooms even without
by the World Resources Institute together with access to the Internet or computers;
the Department of Resource Surveys and Remote 6. Tutorials to help users take advantage of all
Sensing, the Central Bureau of Statistics, and the that Virtual Kenya has to offer.
International Livestock Research Institute.
The Atlas overlays geo-referenced statistical
information on human well-being with spatial
data on ecosystems and their services to yield a
picture of how land, people, and prosperity are
related in Kenya. Since its publication, data and
charts from the Atlas have been downloaded
regularly from the WRI website, and its online
Geographic Information System (GIS) data sets
are being used to produce new maps.
The Virtual Kenya platform is designed to allow
users with more limited mapping expertise,
specifically in high schools and universities, to Screenshot of the interactive map viewer
take full advantage of the wealth of data behind
the Atlas. The website also introduces more
advanced users to new web-based software
applications for visualizing and analyzing spatial
information and makes public spatial data sets
freely available on the web to support improved
environment and development planning.

2. WHO SHOULD USE VIRTUAL KENYA HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED
Target audiences of the website include students To get involved, you can log in to the website
and teachers at the secondary and tertiary level, and create your own account to view, download,
GIS professionals, policy makers, government publish, share, and comment on maps and other
planners, and local government officials. spatial data. Or you can simply watch a Virtual
However, Virtual Kenya will be accessible to Kenya Tour to learn more about Kenya’s
anyone interested in interactive maps about environment and geography and increase your
Kenya and the matters relevant to the daily lives spatial skills. The site also offers users a social
of Kenyans. networking opportunity to discuss topics related
to GIS and other spatial information available
within or outside Virtual Kenya. You can even win
great prizes by entering online competitions to
publish your own maps. The Virtual Kenya
partners will also be organizing training events
across Kenya to allow both online and offline
users to interact with the tools, data, and
learning resources featured on the website.
PARTNERS
Virtual Kenya is a collaborative project by Upande
Ltd. and the World Resources Institute. Some of
the content was developed together with the
Wildlife Clubs of Kenya, Jacaranda Designs Ltd.,
Screenshot of the homepage of the platform
and the International Livestock Research
Institute. Technical support was provided by
Danida, Royal Danish Embassy as part of the
WHY IS VIRTUAL KENYA INNOVATIVE
Environment Programme Support in Kenya
The Virtual Kenya website provides users with a
funded by Danida and Sida.
platform to interactively view, explore, and
download Atlas data in a variety of file formats
Most of the maps and information presented on
and software applications, including Virtual
Virtual Kenya were first published in Nature’s
Kenya Tours using Google Earth. In addition, GIS
Benefits in Kenya: An Atlas of Ecosystems and
users in Kenya will—for the first time—have a
Human Well-Being, funded by the Swedish
dedicated online social networking community to
International Development Agency; Irish Aid,
share their work, comment and interact with
Department of Foreign Affairs; Netherlands
each other on topics related to maps and other
Ministry of Foreign Affairs; United States Agency
spatial data.
for International Development; International
Livestock Research Institute and Danish
For those with limited mapping and GIS
International Development Agency, Ministry of
experience, Virtual Kenya will increase awareness
Foreign Affairs.
of resources and tools available online to
visualize and explore spatial information. For
users and classrooms that do not have access to
CONTACT US
the Internet yet, other materials—such as wall For further information about the Virtual Kenya
charts, student activity booklets, a teachers website or related learning resources, please
guide, as well as a DVD with all the Virtual Kenya contact us:
data and software—will be available, giving them Email: info@virtualkenya.org
the opportunity to interact with tools available on Phone: +254 774 162 071
the Virtual Kenya website. These resources can Website: http:/virtualkenya.org
also be used to increase student comprehension Twitter: @virtualkenya
of Atlas topics covered in the National Facebook: VirtualKenya
Curriculum. LinkedIn: http://lnkd.in/dcr6aK
YouTube: http://youtube.com/user/VirtualKenya