The project is based on the outcomes of a 2005 conference, supported by the National Science Foundation and several of the collaborating organizations.  Representatives from the geospatial industry, government agencies, academia, and professional associations examined the potential for two-year colleges to meet current geospatial training needs.  They concluded that

• well-developed two-year programs can meet workforce needs for geospatial technologists. 
• such programs must integrate geospatial technologies rather than focus exclusively on GIS.
• the main challenges for most two-year colleges are the lack of appropriate curriculum models, faculty expertise in remote sensing, and access to remote sensing data. 

For more information, see the workshop report, Integrating GIS and Remote Sensing for Technical Workforce Training at Two-Year Colleges.