CT Data Collaborative to Offer Data Visualization Workshops

The Connecticut Data Collaborative’s CTData Academy will be offering an engaging two-part workshop on Data Visualization this month. By learning the principles of data visualization, and applying them with free data tools that will be taught during the virtual workshop, participants will learn how to create simple, compelling charts that effectively convey insights that can be gained from data.

The two-part workshop will be held on Thursday, September 9, 10:00-11:00 AM and Thursday, September 16, 10:00 AM- Noon. During the Data Visualization workshops, participants of varying skill levels will learn how to:

• Make decisions about color and design to communicate your message.
• Create graphs in Datawrapper and Tableau Public (free tools).
• Use Excel charts more effectively, visually.

The Connecticut Data Collaborative (CTData) is a statewide public-private partnership that advocates for the public availability of open and accessible data, serving nonprofits, advocates, policymakers, community groups, and funders in using data to drive policy and improve programs and services, budgeting and decision making at the state, regional and local levels. The Data Academy provides informational sessions and workshops throughout the year to help participants become more comfortable with using and disseminating data.

“These workshops will focus on creating compelling charts and graphs electronically to support your story, whether in government, business or a nonprofit organization,” said Michelle Riordan-Nold, Executive Director of the Connecticut Data Collaborative.

The Data Visualization workshops are offered through the CTData Academy, which provides courses and programs to increase data literacy, build data capacity and enable nonprofits, state and local government, community groups, and organizations across the state to effectively use their own data, open data, and data from other sources, for the purpose of understanding, measuring, advocating, and positively impacting lives.

“These sessions will help organizations across Connecticut harness the power of data and design to inform policy and decision-making,” said Sarah Eisele-Dyrli, Assistant Director at CTData. “Increasingly, organizations in the public and private sector are looking to better understand how to use data to drive decisions, effectively and efficiently.”

Equity and Ethics Community of Practice

Later this month, on Tuesday, September 21, Connecticut's Equity and Ethics Community of Practice will gather virtually. The community of practice is a group of data users in Connecticut that meet monthly, focusing on racial equity explicitly, but not exclusively. Organized by the Connecticut Data Collaborative, it is a steadily growing group of data users across the state, in the public and private sector, who are working toward more equitable data practices. The ad hoc group, which began nearly a year ago, has grown from a handful initially to more than 100+ data users in numerous disciplines and fields. The Sept. 21 session will take place 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM and new participants are welcome.

A community of practice is a group of people with common work or interests who talk about theory and practice issues to improve their work. Group members each possess different skill levels and knowledge and also come with a common belief that they can learn from and contribute to one another.

More Accessible Data, Census 2020 Data Hub

CT Data strives for informed decision-making across Connecticut, empowering an ecosystem of data users by democratizing access to public data and building data literacy skills. More than 200 data sets are now accessible to the public on the CTData website, including a wide array of subjects and policy categories. CTData provides customized data training, hosts easy-to-use, downloadable data, creates customized data visualizations and interactive data tools, provides data consulting services, and supports a community of data users through events and conferences.

Among its areas of responsibility, CTData has been designated as the lead organization for the State of Connecticut in the U.S. Census Bureau’s State Data Center Program and as Connecticut’s official source for Census data related to the 2020 Census.

Launched recently, the CTData Census 2020 Data Hub provides updated Census data for Connecticut. The Census 2020 Hub is at www.ctdata.org/census-2020-data-hub and includes an online explorer tool for individuals to review 2020 U.S. Census data, at www.ctdata.org/census-2020-explorer-page.

More information on the CTData Academy, CTData programs and events, and current datasets is available at ctdata.org.