For students and young professionals of geographic information technologies (GITs), getting the required practical experience to find a desirable job is difficult. These jobs require often require a minimum of two to five years of professional experience in the field, making the barrier to entry difficult. What Mapping Across Borders allows students and young professionals to do then is to demonstrate their skills in GITs and gain part of that valuable experience.

At the same time, there is a strong desire in many people to contribute to development projects around the world. However, for many people finding the required funds or time to travel around the globe can be very difficult to do. Mapping Across Borders tackles this issue head on and, for the most part, erases it. Mapping Across Borders provides an opportunity to get involved and become a global citizen all from the comfort from your home by volunteering your time and skills through the internet.

By volunteering online, you are able to benefit from more than just knowing that you are helping to create positive change, you are building up a portfolio of all your efforts. This profile gives you an opportunity to showcase your talents and abilities in GITs by logging all of your great work, and achieving awards.

Mapping Across Borders then gives you the opportunity to show your portfolio to others, either by providing a public website you can link to, or by providing an explanation of all of your efforts which can be printed and shown to prospective employers.

When you work with Mapping Across Borders, everyone wins - You, the organizations making use of the site and the citizens who development organizations are dedicated to helping.