CT Data Launches High School Civic Data Program

The Connecticut Data Collaborative, with a well-established reputation for advancing data literacy skills for individuals working in public and private sector organizations and increasing public access to government data, is launching a new High School Civic Data Program next month.

The first high school to sign on for the new initiative is A.I. Prince Technical High School in Hartford, where juniors in the school’s information technology program will participate in the inaugural collaboration with key staff members of the Connecticut Data Collaborative, known as CTData. Data Engagement Specialist Sarah Eisele-Dyrli and Director of Community Impact Elizabeth Grim will work with the students.

Through the new High School Civic Data Program, CT Data – which has seen nearly 300 adults attend various workshops so far this year – begins to work with the next generation of business and non-profit leaders in developing their essential data skills. Over the course of several sessions throughout the month of October, Eisele-Dyrli and Grim will guide the students through planning and implementing their data projects, as well as communicating their data findings.

The Connecticut Data Collaborative 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.

“This new partnership is particularly exciting because it is an opportunity for us to support the development of a skill set that is essential in supporting a strong democracy - the ability to read, work with, analyze, and argue with data,” said Eisele-Dyrli. “In other words, by strengthening data literacy skills, we also strengthen our democracy. We enjoy every opportunity help people to increase their data literacy skills so they can better use data to inform their decisions.”

Through this program, students will learn how to evaluate the credibility of data sources and find trustworthy data, while considering ethics in their data work. “Given the lack of trust people have in institutions to steward data,” Eisele-Dyrli added, “it is imperative that the next generation of data and tech leaders are integrating ethical principles into their data use.”

Additionally, students will develop questions to answer with data, analyze data to gain insights, and compile their insights into data stories. While data analysis skills are important, the significance of communicating data accurately is often overlooked. During the program, participating students will look critically at their own and each other’s insights in order to draw meaningful conclusions and communicate them accurately.

Another compelling aspect of the program is the ability to support the growth of key data skills among young people who do not have many opportunities to access this type of training. As an organization, CTData seeks to facilitate the development of data literacy skills among all of Connecticut’s residents, and being able to cultivate data literacy among those who may experience barriers to these opportunities or are traditionally not encouraged to invest in them is also of particular interest.

Additional partnerships with high schools in Connecticut are currently being explored. Recognizing that schools often do not have sufficient budget to offer such a program, Connecticut teachers interested in bringing this program to their school, or potential funders interested in learning more about supporting the initiative, should contact sarah@ctdata.org.

As part of CTData’s commitment to increase data literacy and build data capacity across the state, workshops and trainings are offered through the CTData Academy, which aims 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 impact lives.

More than 200 data sets are now accessible to the public on the CT Data website, including a wide array of subjects and policy categories. 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.

More information on the CTData Academy, the new High School Civic Data Program, upcoming CT Data programs and events, and current datasets, is available at ctdata.org.