![twoballoons.jpg](https://i.publiclab.org/system/images/photos/000/000/146/medium/twoballoons.jpg)



Philadelphia is home to a newly active group of Public Labbers. So far in 2013, our focus has been on building a Public Lab community in the Philadelphia region (includes the Philadelphia suburbs, southern NJ, and northern DE) and teaching folks how to organize and run their own balloon mapping projects.


##**Balloon Mapping Working during Philly Tech Week**
In April 2013, Public Labbers Dana Bauer and Sean McGinnis organized and ran a full-day balloon mapping workshop during Philly Tech Week. Over 20 mapping enthusiast participated and learned about launching balloons, building camera rigs, and stitching images together with MapKinitter. The research note from the event is here: [http://publiclab.org/notes/geography76/5-1-2013/balloon-mapping-workshop-during-philly-tech-week-0](http://publiclab.org/notes/geography76/5-1-2013/balloon-mapping-workshop-during-philly-tech-week-0). This was the first major Public Lab event in the Philadelphia region. Six community groups and organization backed the workshop: The Hacktory, Hacks Hackers Philly, Philadelphia School District, and the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation. The Hacktory and Hacks Hackers Philly would be ideal hosts for Public Lab events in the region. 

We had a train-the-trainer launch for the workshop facilitators about 10 days before the workshop. The research notes for that launch are here: [http://publiclab.org/notes/geography76/5-1-2013/launch-washington-crossing-historic-park](http://publiclab.org/notes/geography76/5-1-2013/launch-washington-crossing-historic-park)

##**Delaware River waterfront mapping**

![benfranklin.jpg](https://i.publiclab.org/system/images/photos/000/000/145/medium/benfranklin.jpg)
The Public Lab partnered with the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation (DRWC) during the April 2013 Balloon Mapping Workshop. DRWC expressed interest in working with PLOTS on future projects. 

##**Atlantic City**
Sean McGinnis launched a balloon at the [MAC URISA](http://www.macurisa.org/) meeting in Atlantic City in October 2012. The map is here: [https://mapknitter.org/map/view/macurisa2012](https://mapknitter.org/map/view/macurisa2012). A gorgeous video of the launch is here: [http://georamblings.com/2012/10/video-from-macurisa-conference-balloon-mapping-flight/](http://georamblings.com/2012/10/video-from-macurisa-conference-balloon-mapping-flight/)

##**The Philadelphia School District and The Hacktory
**