The 4-H GeoSeekers Club of Ontario County is mapping fire hydrants, but the project is not just for fun or learning: What they record will end up in maps used by firefighters, ambulance drivers and other emergency responders in Manchester, N.Y.

"Until very recently, youth have been an untapped resource in emergency preparedness, and they're very valuable," said Ellen Abend, resource coordinator for Cornell's Extension Disaster Education Network (NY EDEN). "The projects that they do are things that are not just nice to do; they're need-to-do projects, but full-time workers may not have the time to complete them."

Equipped with Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers, data collection sheets and map routes, eight club members, ages 10 to 18, marked and recorded the location of more than 200 hydrants for the Manchester Project -- a two-part effort to help the county's Emergency Management Office (EMO) improve fire services -- in less than three hours. That data collection would have taken two full-time emergency responders several days to complete, according to the director of the EMO.

"We definitely want to make sure that whatever we do is going to be useful and viable and make a contribution to the community," said James Hooper, a Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) educator in Ontario County who runs the 4-H GeoSeekers Program.

This month, the youth will digitize the maps and identify the location and diameter of the town's water mains, information the town does not have but is important to determine water-carrying capacity and the fire department's ability to respond to a fire, said Hooper.

The data will be entered into the EMO's database, he said, and maps based on the data will be published and disseminated to the district's emergency responders.

With GPS curriculum support from Cornell's Institute for Resource Information Sciences (IRIS), the club will analyze and prepare data using geographic information system (GIS) equipment and software. CCE educators have identified geospatial sciences curriculum as a way to improve science and technology literacy in youth.

"I can't tell you how many teachers I've talked to who have commented that kids don't understand maps anymore, think that maps only exist on Google, or that if the map doesn't tell you turn by turn how to get from your house to the grocery store, it's not really a map," said Hooper. Stephen Smith, a senior extension associate and the GIS program leader for IRIS, said statewide, 4-H youth are learning to use GPS receivers to collect spatial data, plot results on detailed maps and provide useful resources to community planners. "In 4-H club settings, youth are exploring a range of geospatial sciences applications, from simple geocaching to complex mapping projects, and they're having a blast," he said.

Hooper agreed. "The technology is really useful for kids, and it's a very clear-cut way for youth to make positive contributions in their community. It's been a good fit all the way around," he said.

Last year 4-H GeoSeekers generated maps of local fresh farm produce stands and other agricultural commodities available to consumers.

The Manchester Project is a collaborative effort of the Ontario County EMO, the Manchester Fire Department, the CCE 4-H Program and the 4-H GeoSeekers. The project is supported in part by Environment Systems Research Institute Inc., which provides mapping software for participating 4-H programs.

Jacqueline Dowdell is communications coordinator for Cornell Cooperative Extension.