The National Geospatial Technology Extension Network (NGTEN) is essentially what eXtension calls a Community Practice – an informal network that helps Geospatial Extension Specialists (GES) share ideas, leverage successful educational programs and geospatial applications, and ultimately identify the “best of the best” for implementation locally. Participating states are tied together with a common goal and not through funding (any federal agency support has been limited to seed money in all cases).

The mission of NGTEN is to facilitate the practical use of Earth systems science and technology, and help meet the growing demand for a spatially literate workforce. This is made possible through seeds sown by NASA, USDA and NOAA, and the science and education networks provided by Land Grant (Cooperative Extension), Space Grant, Sea Grant, and other local partners.

In each participating state, a GES acts as a knowledge broker, or the two-way conduit between research, applications development, and practice. They build on existing Earth science capabilities, which include Earth observations from space and aerial platforms (remote sensing), modeling and systems engineering, geographic information systems (GIS), the global positioning system (GPS), and spatial decision support systems (SDSS).