Hartford Youth Data Fellows to Share Results of Real-World Research

On Tuesday, May 13, Hartford Youth Data Fellows will be at the State Capitol for the culmination of their 5-month initiative researching key data alongside professionals with the CTData Collaborative. Their presentations will feature engaging community topics of concern to the Hartford community, including education, housing and homeownership, and community safety.

The young people - age 17 to 24 - have been building their data skills while addressing significant community challenges. Their journey included completing several workshops and developing their participatory action research skills, resulting in "data snapshots" that highlight key issues affecting Hartford.

The Hartford Youth Data Fellows 2025 Data Walk is open to the public, and particularly of interest to organizations working in these policy areas. It will be held 4-6 PM in the Hall of Flags of the State Capitol building. The Fellows will present their findings through visualizations and interactive discussions that make complex data understandable to community members of all backgrounds.

The fourth cohort of Hartford Youth Data Fellows includes seven participants — high school students and college students — who have been working since January to create data-driven projects. Through meetings with local nonprofits and community leaders, these Fellows have gained deep insights into Hartford's challenges and explored thoughtful, innovative solutions.

Meeting twice weekly at the Swift Factory in Hartford's North End, these young data scholars developed skills that can help shape the future of their city. Beyond teaching technical skills, the program encourages Fellows to think critically about their communities and how data can be used as a tool for positive change

The Hartford Youth Data Fellows program operates under the Hartford Data Collaborative, a partnership formed in 2019 and managed by CTData, consisting of a network of Hartford area non-profit organizations, government agencies, and philanthropic partners that facilitate data sharing and data integration among its partners. This collaborative framework enables meaningful data sharing, integration, and analysis that supports informed decision-making within the local community. As part of the collaborative, the Fellows receive stipends for their work and contributions.

At a time when many young people feel disconnected from the decision-making processes that impact their lives, the Hartford Youth Data Fellows program offers a compelling alternative — one that values youth knowledge, builds practical skills, and empowers young people to use data as a tool for creating more equitable outcomes in their communities.

The young people receive data literacy, data analysis, data visualization, and data storytelling training. They also engage with community leaders in Hartford to better understand city issues and resident needs. Midway through the program, the Fellows hosted members from Hartford Decides at the Swift Factory, creating a powerful intersection of youth engagement, data literacy, and community activism that helped to inform their data research work.

“The participants in our latest cohort of Hartford Youth Data Fellows integrated their life’s experiences with the development of Hartford data profiles to develop powerful insights about issues that affect them and the Hartford community,” said Kate Bittinger Eikel, Data Integration Strategist with CTData, who serves as Director of the Hartford Youth Data Fellows program.

The initiative, developed by the CT Data Collaborative (CTData), is a component of the organization’s mission to empower an ecosystem of data users. The program is facilitated by the Hartford Data Collaborative (HDC), a partnership of Hartford agencies and community leaders, managed by CTData, that facilitates data sharing, integration, and analysis to optimize services and outcomes for Hartford residents.

“The students add a dimension to our work, and we appreciate their commitment and perspective. They have quickly developed expertise that can make a difference in their community in the near-term and hopefully in their lives going forward,” said Michelle Riordan-Nold, Executive Director of the Connecticut Data Collaborative.

CTData appreciates the financial support provided by the Travelers Foundation, the charitable arm of Travelers, and the Community Development Block Grant funds allocated to CTData Collaborative, Inc. by the City of Hartford. Their generous funding makes this year's cohort of Hartford Youth Data Fellows possible, creating meaningful opportunities for participants and the Hartford community.

Striving for informed decision-making across Connecticut, the CTData Collaborative empowers an ecosystem of data users by democratizing access to public data and building data literacy. CTData works throughout Connecticut with nonprofits, advocates, policymakers, community groups, and funders to further the use of data to drive policy and improve programs and services, budgeting and decision-making at the state, regional and local levels.

CTData strives to promote and engage data users in implementing equitable data practices across the state. Among its initiatives, CTData works with nonprofit organizations to develop Data Strategic Plans© to map out their use of data to further organizational missions and offers a range of programs and working groups through the CTData Academy.

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 is a member of the National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership (NNIP).

More information is available on the website at www.ctdata.org.