DANVILLE (WSLS 10) - Dozens of Southside students may now have a better appreciation for geography thanks to the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research.
Students were at the institute on Tuesday to learn about a computer program known as a Geographical Information System.
The program helps track things like garbage in the ocean and the migration of animals.
Danville's GIS Coordinator Scott Longerbeam also talked to the students about how the city uses the system to track things like crime and power outages.
Tuesday's demonstration was in conjunction with National Geography Week.
"There's a variety of uses the city uses it for. It runs through all departments," Longerbeam pointed out. "The basis for all of that is a backbone of data. We take data and spatially represent it so that it can be used to make decisions for the city."
Once the students finished their session, the public was then allowed to come in and experience the system for themselves.