Welcome on board our new sponsors, Fugro! Let’s dive in to learn more about their character:

Company Name: Fugro.

Location: Leidschendam, Netherlands.

Why did you get involved in Get Kids into Survey? Educating students about new ways to explore the world is the best way to get them interested in the survey sciences.

What do you do? We use advanced technology to explore the earth’s surface and subsurface, creating maps about different parts of the world and explaining its composition (what it’s made of). We do this on land and underwater. The information we gather helps our clients make good decisions about how to use natural resources, like water, minerals, and food. It also helps them safely build and maintain infrastructure, like roads and bridges, ports and harbors, and pipelines and cables.

How long have you been in the Survey Industry? Fugro was founded in 1962, focusing on soil mechanics and foundation design. We added survey solutions to our capabilities in 1991.

How did you get into the Industry? We began by integrating positioning technology into our work, which helped us increase the accuracy of our existing services. Soon we added many more survey capabilities that allowed us to provide more services to our clients, including mapping large areas of land and sea. Today we are a recognized leader in the field, providing many different types of survey offerings to our clients to match their information needs.

Funny Fact about you: Fugro is a Dutch abbreviation for fundamental ground mechanics

Favourite piece of kit and why? We have so many, it’s hard to choose! But we’ll highlight our RAMMS system because it can be used to quickly map coastal areas, which is of pressing importance right now given the impacts of climate change and sea-level rise. RAMMS stands for Rapid Airborne Multibeam Mapping System. It is operated from a small airplane or drone and uses laser beams to create maps of the seafloor. Scientists use this information to understand and protect fish habitats, mariners use this information to plan safe transportation routes, and engineers use this information to understand potential hazards from hurricanes and other large storms.

Favourite Survey technique and why? We love all things remote and autonomous. We are using uncrewed platforms to acquire survey information from the air (like RAMMS) and from the sea. These advanced systems provide faster, safer, and more sustainable acquisition and delivery of survey data. It’s better for our employees; it’s better for our clients, and better for the environment!

Your website

How did you choose the character and what does he/she/it represent? Mean to you? What’s his/her name? Our character is a small fixed-wing aircraft flying our RAMMS system. The equipment we used to use to map coastal waters would have filled your bedroom from floor to ceiling, but with RAMMS we can fit all that technology into the size of a small suitcase. This small size is what leads to huge efficiency gains, both in terms of survey speed and reduced carbon emissions.

Say hello to our Brand Ambassador Anthony Pritchard from the UK!

Where did you study? The Survey School, Worcester

What are the requirements to be a surveyor in your area? Anyone can become a land surveyor over time but for all surveying disciplines you require a knowledge of STEM subjects and a good attention to detail. My company focuses on water-based projects so I have a greater understanding of water whether within rivers, lakes or the sea.

How did you get into surveying? I was in my early twenties having left school after my A-levels not knowing what I wanted to do. I worked in farming through my school years and enjoyed the outdoor life but always felt there was something out there better suited to my skills. It was my mum who saw an advert in the local paper for an assistant land surveyor and suggested I try for that. I was hooked and took to it like a duck to water. I joined an established company who put me through the Survey Association course at the Survey School in Worcester. This was a newly established 2-year block release course which I really enjoyed and provided the theory to back-up the practical site work I was completing every day in my day job.

How long have you been in the industry? It will be 20 years in July 2021.

Are you part of any associations or organisations you would like us to mention? I am an Associate member of the RICS and hope to be a member of the CICES by the end of the month.

I am Vice Chair of Governors at a local primary school where I also chair the performance and standards committee. I am passionate about the education of young children and want to help provide opportunities to all through knowledge and experience.

Why do you want to be a GKiS Brand Ambassador? I want young people and children to understand the opportunities involved with a career in surveying or a related field – the technology, the indoor/outdoor balance and the travel to name a few!

Why is it important for kids to know about surveying and the wider geospatial industry? Surveying and geospatial data plays such a huge part in our everyday lives, much of which we don’t even realise. From gaming through to sustainability of the planet’s resources, surveying is involved with so much analysis and decision making  the world over.

What are you going to do as an ambassador for GKiS? Continue to share my knowledge of the geospatial industry and all things related.

What are your hobbies? Although rugby has been my main hobby for the majority of my life, I am now too old for all that rough and tumble and so instead I have taken up karate! Hope to gain my blackbelt before the end of 2021.

If you/your company had a GKiS character, what would it be? Something from a river or the ocean or maybe Captain Birdseye esque!

What poster or resource would you like to see next from GKiS? As part of the resources, we could offer some larger projects involving a feasibility study, then surveying, designing, and finally setting out the development. Maybe the local village needs a new skate park? The school utilise a BA to help with the process from feasibility through to setting out -just don’t build it!! 

Unsure of the benefits of becoming a sponsor? Or are you questioning if it is worth it? Join this lovely bunch of sponsors in 2021 as we introduce new resources and exciting new projects, all requiring your help!

Top benefits of becoming a sponsor

1- Brand exposure in front of thousands of people!

Get Kids into Survey has support from all around the world, from our 3 amazing distributors in the UK, Australia and the US; To the over 50,000 survey loving people worldwide who have one of our physical posters! We also have an amazing network of Brand Ambassadors who take our resources and promote them/the industry in front of hundreds of school children. Every time someone sees your character they will notice your logo and be able to recognise that as they grow older. SO much exposure and fun to be had with team GKiS! 

2- Become part of the GKiS family

Being a part of the GKiS family and networking within our community is a great way to get yourself known. We have so many connections which are continuously growing and all over the world too. Our Brand Ambassadors also help, getting involved by taking the resources you help to produce, to local schools, events and local organisations etc. In turn this has started to build our educational community, more so this year with the release of more lesson based plans and activities. Here’s hoping we can get back to the in person conferences later this year where we can all start interacting 

3- Help provide FREE resources that kids will enjoy

One positive about our materials being free to access for kids, is that absolutely anyone can access them no matter what their financial situation. These resources are continually being expanded and recently lesson plans have been added when lockdown hit so that parents had something for their kids to do at home. These resources all link back to the posters that your sponsored character appears on. It is your sponsorship money that makes this happen!

4- Build momentum, start small with BIG consequences

There is a huge lack of career advice and awareness on Surveying, so help educate parents, children and the general joe blogs at a local level. If we don’t stand up and start to build momentum now, companies are going to be in bigger trouble long term with lack of surveyors (it is already happening).  Businesses poaching staff members and further disruption all round.  Not a nice situation to be in when you are trying to run a profitable business. 

“In 2018, there were 55,000 chartered surveyors in the UK, either employed or self-employed. This number has fallen from 63,000 in 2011” Source/ Credit Macdonald and Company. 

5- Marketing material with a cartoon character 

Our very own cartoonist will create a character of your choice. Have a look at all of our character spotlights here (Latest Blogs – Get Kids Into Survey) for an insight into other companies ideas! We love those who really take on their character and write from their perspective. Something that can be incorporated into your own marketing material to capture people’s interest. 

GKiS also shows your soft side and builds a unique picture about your business.  Look at Trent Keenan at Diamondback Land Surveying, he is so passionate about getting kids into Survey, he has sponsored the local Nascar – this not only promotes the profession but raises his profile as a Surveyor in his area!

“Land Surveying Is A Great Profession, But Why Don’t Young People Know That?” POB Magazine

6- YOU are helping to save the industry and hiring crisis!

Let’s be honest, the surveying industry will slowly die out if younger people aren’t being recruited or interested in joining the industry. By being a sponsor you are directly helping with gaining exposure to what we do, so children understand and recognise this as a career option. The more we capture a child’s interest, the more likely they are to consider this in later life. Keeping surveying on the radar!! The baby boomer generation is retiring and with the average age of a surveyor globally at 55 this is very concerning.  GKiS is a long term strategy which was started in November 2017! It is an industry that we cannot afford to lose.

Don’t Miss out!  Be part of the movement to Get Kids into Survey!

We are focussing on Homework Projects as our current campaign.  There will be a couple based on each of the collectable posters for Surveyors, parents and kids to have a go at. These dive deeper into the knowledge behind the things going on in the posters, so much more to learn. Moving forwards we are going to put a lot of emphasis on promoting our current sponsors, so it will have a double whammy; Get kids into Survey and promote your brand as one of the main companies that helped raise the profile and Get Kids into Survey!  

Link to the sponsorship info here  

Welcome to our Brand Ambassador Jocelyn Correa, from California USA!

Where did you study? I did not go to school for Land Surveying, I went to a local community college for Architecture and Sociology

What are the requirements to be a surveyor in your area? In California, it is either a combination of a degree related to land surveying, and/or experience under another Licensed Land surveyor, for a total of 6 years. For example, 4 year degree, plus 2 years experience… or 6 years of experience.

How did you get into surveying? I worked for a local Assessor’s office, originally getting the job just because I knew AutoCAD, but wound up learning the basics of Land Surveying concepts

If you are not a surveyor, what do you do?

How long have you been in the industry? I started as a cadastral mapper in 2004, so a bit over 16 years. I’ve been with a Land Survey/Engineering company for the past nearly 7 years.

Are you part of any associations or organisations you would like us to mention? CLSA (state member and Local chapter secretary), NSPS member, and past ASPRS member

Why do you want to be a GKiS Brand Ambassador? I want to have additional resources to reach out to schools in my area, and assist with promoting our AMAZING profession. I think partnering with GKiS will assist me connect with the kids better, and not have to generate interest-catching material myself

Why is it important for kids to know about surveying and the wider geospatial industry? Surveying is a VITAL profession for the future of the built environment, for future infrastructure and repairing or maintaining existing infrastructure.   

What are you going to do as an ambassador for GKiS? As a brand ambassador, I’d like to begin presenting to more schools, and reaching a larger age group. Currently, I have only worked with students in a High School geometry class, and also worked with the DiscoverE Future Cities competition. I think it’s important to also expose younger kids to the Land Surveying profession

What are your hobbies? I love watching my kids participate in their activities: gymnastics, baseball, horseriding, and theatre. As weird as it sounds, I also love organizing, planning, and cleaning.

If you/your company had a GKiS character, what would it be? If my company had a character, I think we’d be a chameleon… we do SO many different services to make the built environment possible. If I was a character, I think I’d be  a deer… a bit high-strung, but shy, intuitive, and very aware of my surroundings. If it was a survey specific character, I think I’d be a researcher… I LOVE researching old documents, maps, and the history involved in land surveying

What poster or resource would you like to see next from GKiS? I think stickers would be awesome!

2021 started off with a bang for the geospatial industry when the GeoSquad Comic Book was released back in May. Two whole years in the making, this really was a very exciting time and we finally saw the results of our efforts both online and in our hands.

Our team has seen first hand the changes in the industry over the last 20+ years, with an aging demographic, less recruits, and university courses struggling to attract applicants. Something had to be done about it … kickstarting the #GetKidsintoSurvey movement. At first there were a couple of posters which promoted the industry in a fun way, followed by quiz questions and colouring in sheets. But we needed something MORE, something bigger, something better!

A comic is something that can be put into libraries, schools, kids clubs, waiting rooms… the list could go on! Our aim: to give exposure to the industry by getting as many eyes on our geospatial resources as possible.

So, let us answer a few overriding questions that you may have about the Comic Book:

Why is there a high shipping cost? Our Comic has been designed and produced in the UK (where Elaine Ball Ltd are based). We wanted to keep it British and ensure the product can be quality checked easily by us, they are printed and shipped by our fabulous printers here in Yorkshire, UK. 

Our shipping cost is correct for the size/weight of the comic book, as per Royal Mail. We put a small mark up for admin costs and packaging. Currently, the exchange rate is higher due to covid/political reasons, to certain countries such as Australia which is out of our control.

*We are happy for you to print in your country for bulk orders. The downside of this is that the quality check will still need to occur, making the process quite long. If this is something you’d like to do we are happy to oblige.

Who is the GeoSquad Comic Book aimed at? All of our resources are aimed at 8-12 year olds, although some younger children have read it with the help of their parents. Adults are known to enjoy it too so it has a very broad appeal!

What went into making the Comic Book? As previously mentioned, this venture began over two years ago with a basic idea. This was transformed into a story chapter by chapter, by our fabulous teacher and writer Mat Sulivan. Not only did the story need to be thought out from scratch, so did all of the characters, followed by each scene in every comic strip. Once the basics were sketched out, Marek, our fabulous cartoonist, transformed it into what you see as the finished comic strip. 

But that isn’t all… The team worked so hard to get the first couple of chapters sponsored by different geospatial companies which were kindly published in POB and CES magazines. Building the brand up and gaining more exposure to kids via their parents. Once the final ten sponsors had been sourced for the book we were nearly ready for lift off. Countless hours have been spent by multiple team members on this project. This process took over 2 years, and cost £29,000, most of this was covered by our fabulous sponsors.

How much is the Comic Book? A hard copy printed comic book is £10.99 and is only available in GBP due to the ever fluctuating currency rates. We also have an e-book which is slightly cheaper at £6.99, which wouldn’t include postage charges. 

Is Get Kids into Survey a Charity? No we are not a charity. Unlike other organisations we do not receive any external funding to produce these resources, so rely purely on the industries good will through sponsorship. We do however have an Education Fund which can be contributed to in order to help us produce and distribute these resources to those who cannot afford it.

 Introducing our latest Brand Ambassador from Alaska, John Brady! Here’s his Q&A:

Where did you study?

University of Alaska Anchorage

 What are the requirements to be a surveyor in your area?

4 year college degree, 4 years of work experience (3 of which must be in “responsible charge”)

How did you get into surveying?

I started college as a civil engineering major and didn’t like the prospect of sitting behind a desk for the majority of my career. Intro to surveying is required for civil majors and enjoying the class I changed majors to Geomatics and have never looked back.

How long have you been in the industry? Almost 12 years.

Are you part of any associations or organisations you would like us to mention? I am active with my local chapter of ASPLS (the Alaska Society of Professional Land Surveyors) serving as the Fairbanks Chapter President for 2021. I am also a member of ASPRS and am working to be more active with our local Alaska Chapter.

Why do you want to be a GKiS Brand Ambassador?

We desperately need more surveyors and I wish I would have known it was an option when growing up. I knew about engineering, but had never heard of surveying. I want to change that for kids so they at least know it is an option. This has been important to me prior to hearing about GKiS and becoming a Brand Ambassador just made sense.

Why is it important for kids to know about surveying and the wider geospatial industry?

They use it all the time now with GPS enabled smart phones and it is good to know what you are using and about the world we live in. Plus it is a very cool industry that covers so many interests. Want to play with the latest and greatest tech? Survey has it. Want to do scientific research? Plenty of geospatial areas to do so. Love the outdoors and don’t want to be stuck behind a computer screen for the rest of your life? Become a land surveyor or hydrographic survey.

What are you going to do as an ambassador for GKiS?

Hopefully, COVID willing, I will be able to get back into the schools and show off the industry to students. I am trying to encourage more of our local surveyors to do the same or assist me when I do so as well.

What are your hobbies?

My wife and kids are my pride and joy. We love spending time in the Alaskan Wilderness (hunting, fishing, hiking, boating, snowmachining (snowmobiling), camping, etc.). We also love to travel and especially make our way to warmer and sunnier climates in the middle of our cold/dark Alaskan winters. I have played ice hockey most of my life and continue to do so.

If you/your company had a GKiS character, what would it be?

I will be starting at Stantec on March 1st and have not found if they already have a character or not, but for ASPLS I would say a moose or an old sourdough miner would be pretty fitting :).

What poster or resource would you like to see next from GKiS?

It would be great to see one focused on the Arctic considering all the opportunities that are coming with the change in climate and how geospatial sciences are playing such a large part in those changes.

Anything else you want to add that you think our audience (surveyors, teachers, parents) would be interested in?

Alaska is yet to be 100% mapped by land surveyors and much of it is quite remote making it a great challenge for land surveyors.

10 Reasons Why you Need the GEOSQUAD Comic Book in your Life:

1- The GeoSquad help to teach kids (and adults) about the types of jobs surveyors do. Help your kids understand what you do for a living!

2- Learn just how important surveyors are – involved in so many workings of the world.

3- Surveyors are the superheroes. Hype up your profession!

4- It’s not just a comic – there’s also 10 amazing fun activities to have a go at.

5- It includes five incredible chapters of comic action.

6- Feel like a kid again and enter the world of superheros!

7- You’ve read the first chapter in the industry magazines and need to find out what happens in the story.

8- You’ll be helping to educate the next generation of industry specialists.

9- It is a limited edition first edition copy – a must have collectors item of the future!

10- Share the love with local scout groups or school libraries so more children have access to read it.

Pictures of the team with the new comic books, we would love to see yours… tag them to #GetKidsintoSurvey

Welcome to Total Surveying Solutions (TSS) the leaders of the latest custom Australia poster! Thank you Gary Dorn for answering this character spotlight:

Company Name – 

TSS TOTAL SURVEYING SOLUTIONS

Location –

SYDNEY, Australia 

Why did you get involved in Get Kids into Survey?

TO HELP INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION. 

What do you do?

Inspire and lead a company of excellent surveyors to help them become the best in their field providing them the ability to make executive decisions to achieve their desired outcomes in their work 

How long have you been in the Survey Industry?

14yr (6uk + 8au)

How did you get into the Industry?

Luck. I didn’t know what a surveyor was when I fell into the procession, but my love of math, problem solving and attention to detail made the decision easy to keep pushing forward in this field. 

Funny Fact about you

I’m known as ‘uncle Tourette’s’ by the family. When I speak passionately about something I slip back to my native dialect and apparently swear a lot! 

Favourite piece of kit and why?

Trimble S8 hp. The sound it makes when taking a shot!  It’s the sound of precision. 

Favourite Survey technique and why?

Half and quarter (marking radius) and 3-4-5 (making sure it’s 90). Old school but never fails!! 

Your website

How did you choose the character and what does he/she/it represent? Mean to you? What’s his/her name?

Well, it’s my son Lucas and his dog Monty. Monty is TSS’s office dog also. He cheers everyone up. And Lucas. He cheers me up all the time!