"Data for Impact" is about how small data can make a big difference. Our audience comprises nonprofits, small businesses, entrepreneurs, community members, and local government. The conference mixes the "how," "why," and "when" of data usage with ethical and moral issues. We define small data as datasets between 100 to 1 million records.
This year, our goals are to provide a mixture of workshops that inspire, teach, and challenge individuals and organizations in their use of small data. We do this by making the talks, panels, and workshops relevant to current issues, relatable efforts, and or simple tools and techniques that can inspire people to get started with data.
- Two keynote sessions— an opening and closing;
- Two half days filled sessions that encourage you to explore data in a variety of ways;
- Current topics explored through the lens of data— gerrymandering, community decision-making, public health, and #blacklivesmatter;
- Quick sessions intermixed with semi-long sessions to lessen Zoom fatigue.
Jordan S Ellenberg, UW-Madison
There is a lot of power given to the people who draw up legislative district lines. They can shape who gets elected. Join author and professor Jordan Ellenberg for a math-inflected look at the dark art of gerrymandering in Wisconsin. What it does, how it works, and what the future might be.
60 Min Session (45 Min + Q&A)
Yogesh Chawla
Dane County is poised to spend $225 million (interest included) on a new jail. Is this money well spent? This presentation explores how we use data; specifically, Jail Inmate Data, to meet and inform our community values and objectives. Does the money we spend as a community reflect our values?
45-Min Session (30 Min + Q&A)
Penny Black, Office of Rural Health
Surveys are a popular way of collecting information. They are often designed without considering how the wording, structure, and order of questions influence the quality of the data collected. In this session, the necessary components of well-designed surveys will be presented, and a helpful list of questionnaire do's and don'ts.
30 Minute Session
Beth Plutchak
#BlackLivesMatter traces its roots to the murder of Michael Brown in 2014. But it took the murder of George Floyd to change the white understanding of what the #BlackLivesMatter movement was. This session explores self-contained networks, feedback loops, and emerging systems to examine, 'Why was this time different?'
60 Minute Session (45 Min with Q&A)
Dave Williams, Analytics8
Developing a data strategy is critical for organizations to harness the opportunities to leverage data for a more significant impact and broader reach. This session will explain the primary components of a data strategy and provide actionable tips to implement in organizations of all sizes.
30 Minute Session + Q&A
Megan Danielson, Mapbox
From storytelling to mobilization, to disaster relief, location and maps are powerful tools for impact. But the people and organizations doing the work are facing limited capacity and high stakes. Mapbox Impact Tools can help and are free. They are templates and guides that provide all the tools to get individuals and organizations up and running.
60 Minute Workshop (Hands-On)
Kira Wetzel, girls + data
Data literacy plays a vital role in growing how young women and girls start exploring the world of data and potential data as a career path. girls + data creates experiences that make data tangible, engaging, enjoyable. Learn more about the girls + data approach to getting young women and their families excited about data.
45 Minute Session + Q&A
M Adams, Freedom, Inc.
PMainstream data and research is often used to squelch the demands for justice. Data like anything else must be developed and used with a pro Black, pro Queer/trans, Pro Feminist analysis.
Join Freedom Inc in a discussion on how to employ that analysis by reviewing case studies of Black grassroots movements creation and use of data to advance their organizing work, nationally within the Movement 4 Black Lives to locally in their #Freethe350 campaign and Police Free Schools Campaign.
45-Minute Session with Q&A
Jeffrey Wu, MPH
Public health departments tend to operate behind the scenes. They monitor multiple community health functions and develop critical interventions. They provide vital public health communications most people take for granted. In this session, let's look at how public health departments gather data about their communities, interpret that data scientifically, and then develop and prioritize interventions.
45-Minute Session with Q&A
Richard J Barker, UW-Madison & the Collaborative Science Environment (CoSE)
Data literacy is a new, necessary norm for everyone. It can be dry and tedious or fun and engaging. Join this discussion on how the KidsInData project of CoSE makes data literacy fun, family-friendly experience. You'll be introduced to the citizen researcher experience using local foods/urban agriculture approach. Empower yourself, your family, and your community to learn more about how data is created and used while producing local, nutritious foods (microgreens).
50-Minute Session + Q&A
Annette Miller, EQT By Design
Data is only meaningful if you ask the right questions, have the right tools, and interpret the data and its impact appropriately. Understanding and recognizing that the inherent bias, that racism institutionally and structurally embedded in data, is the first step of deconstructing your data. How then do we begin to change, deconstruct, and design data differently? Our approach to data design, usage, collection, and impact is critical. It must be relevant, reflective, and inclusive of ALL people!
60 Minute Session with Q&A
MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 2020, 2:00 PM
The City of Madison’s Data Team has been hard at work, creating a dashboard to track the community and economic recovery from COVID-19. With almost 50 metrics in 9 categories, let them provide you with an introduction to this new tool that can offer broad contextual insights to residents, partners, and decision-makers. The dashboard has a broad variety of metrics, tight regional focus, easy-to-digest format, and integration of many different data sources.
QUICK NOTE
The dashboard is currently in internal beta. This sneak preview session will feature background, a demo, and time for questions and feedback.
Monday, Aug. 17, 2020, 6:00 PM
HOSTED BY BIG DATA MADISON
Data scientists at the American Family Insurance Data Science Institute quickly pivoted in mid-March to offer their expertise to state and local health professional around multiple aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Early work focused on projecting hospital bed capacity, which built communication channels that morphed into an advising role for the state and UW System emergency planning bodies. Lately, this DSI COVID-19 Research Group is collaborating with WI Department of Health Services on visual dashboards to help state and county health workers better diagnose COVID-19 trends around the state. This group’s Thursday seminars bring in speakers about data models and pandemic health challenges, such as campus reopening and effect of COVID-19 on prison populations and industries.
SEPERATE REGISTRATION REQUIRED
https://forwardfest.org/events/Analyzing-Covid-19
