A group of UNR students is helping rescuers on the ground in Haiti by pointing out roads and obstacles among the destruction. but they're doing it all from the comfort of their classroom.

Cartography Instructor Cassandra Hansen is heading up the project. She and about ten of her map-making students are using a program called "Open Street Maps" to help rescue workers in Haiti find their way around the wreckage.

"It's kind of a two-way system where we can upload information and help them out. They can download that information and use it," said Hansen.

Using current satellite images, the students are digitizing pictures of road and waterways in Haiti, and then detailing the maps with things like collapsed buildings, road obstructions, and spontaneous camps that have sprouted up all over the country. Students say the project is challenging, but they're learning a new skill set they could use later on life. And for people desperately searching for relief on the ground in Haiti, these students hope they're making a difference.

"It's tough because you can see chunks of roads and you can rarely see a whole road because of vegetation and shading of the hills. I guess it's a start, letting people know there is something out there," said PhD student, Jeff Crawford.

Instructor Cassandra Hansen says she doesn't know how long the project will continue. While she and her students work on their maps, thousands of volunteers across the country are also contributing. All the while, helpers on the ground are confirming the maps are accurate, which could speed up rescue efforts and hopefully make a real difference in victim's lives.

"It's really hard to say how this is affecting people, but it's getting the information out there. It's available for people on the ground," said Hansen.

Hansen says it's rare to come across an opportunity like this, where students can learn a new skill set, while also helping with an international relief effort. She says while the project is not required, and it won't help them get a better grade. they've still jumped at the chance to help out. She says the maps are becoming more and more valuable in Haiti as earthquake victims continue to flee from the city of Port-au-Prince, and head to the rural sections of Haiti.