Skip to main content

News & Events

Carlson Library Data Dive

October 25, 2015
Carlson Student Research Space and VISTA Collaboratory

DATA DIVE

A two-day event that brings together local non-profits and students interested in using thier data skills for social good.

The Carlson Student Research Space, in partnership with the Rochester Center for Community Leadership and the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, is hosting a Data Dive over the weekend of October 24th and 25th. This event connects local non-profits with undergraduate students interested in using their data skills for social good. All disciplines are welcome, and no prerequisite skills are needed! Three optional preparatory workshops will be scheduled in the weeks leading up to the Data Dive to expose students to the basic skills they will need to participate.

Work together, make a difference, build your portfolio. By participating in the Data Dive, you'll make a difference for an organization that helps the community. Plus, you'll have a chance to work together with other students and make connections with faculty as well as local organizations, and walk away with a project that you can highlight as you apply for jobs and internships, or that you can build on in the future.

Registration is open now for 25–30 undergraduate students. Please express your interest through the button above. We are only asking for your name and email for now. Don't worry if you end up on the waitlist! We will be in touch with further details soon.

A Data Dive is a two-day event that brings together local non-profits and students interested in using their data skills for social good. Participating non-profits bring in data from their organizations and the students volunteer their time and brainpower to analyze the data. It's an opportunity for non-profits to learn more from their data, for students to get hands-on experience working with datasets, and most importantly, for building relationships between students and the community.

This year's participating organizations are Neighborworks and Lollypop Farms. Neighborworks is dedicated to improving the quality of life in our community. They focus on stabilizing and revitalizing neighborhoods and the local real estate economy, providing homeowner education and outreach, low-cost equity builder and home improvement loans, energy services, and more. For the Data Dive, student will be exploring Neighborworks' impact in Rochester, Buffalo and Niagara Falls through analysis of data on services provided and communities served. Lollypop Farm, the Humane Society of Greater Rochester, is committed to building lifelong bonds between people and animals through education, community outreach programs and the prevention of cruelty. Students at the Data Dive will explore data related to Lollypop's donation program, animal adoptions and social media.

The main thing is that though the event is focused on analyzing, visualizing and interpreting data, students needn¹t be data science majors, statistics experts or computer scientists to get involved. Successful Data Dive teams are made up of students with diverse backgrounds: the ability to think creatively, ask interesting questions and cooperate are as important as quantitative skills. 

If you have questions about the Data Dive, please contact Kathleen Fear (kfear@library.rochester.edu).

For more information and to register http://rcld7.lib.rochester.edu/csrs/2015-data-dive

Carlson Student Research Space Webpage: http://rcld7.lib.rochester.edu/csrs/2015-data-dive

RCL Webpage: http://www.library.rochester.edu/node/36606

RCL Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rivercampuslibraries?fref=nf (just scroll down a bit to Sept. 25; feel free to share it)

RCL Twitter: https://twitter.com/RCLibraries

Category: Other