Data and Tech Training Catalog
In 2016, NNIP and Microsoft’s Civic Technology Engagement Group launched a project to expand training on community data and technology for government and nonprofit staff members. It includes a brief summarizing the training landscape and action steps for various stakeholders, a guide for organizations interested in providing training, and a fact sheet summarizing results from a survey on current content and practices.
This catalog highlights examples of training courses from around the country that advance data and technology literacy. It includes descriptions and downloadable materials for primarily in-person trainings that have been conducted by local data intermediaries, nonprofits, universities, government agencies, and others. We encourage you to browse and adapt the materials to embark on training for your own community. If you would like to contribute a course to the catalog, send a note to [email protected].
Unless otherwise noted, this materials contributed to this catalog are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, which means you can share (copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format) and adapt (remix, transform, and build upon the material).
Assessing Community Needs and Resources
Accessibility of material, Qualitative Data Collection, Community-Engaged Methods
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Community Tool Box
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Qualitative Data Collection
Avoid Data Pitfalls
Learning how to think critically about data
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The Polis Center at IUPUI
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General Data Literacy
Civic Data and Excel
Introduces Excel as a powerful tool for analyzing and visualizing open data
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Microsoft
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Local Data Website
Software
Software
Civic Innovation Fellowship
Offers a unique example of training college students to empower neighborhood-based elected officials on use of data and technology
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BetaNYC
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Work-related Task
Complete Count Committee 2010 Training
Provides background and training on Census-specific tasks
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Robert Goodspeed and Tia Costello
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National Data Source
Conducting a Community Needs Assessment
Offers strategies and methods for crafting needs assessments based on national, state, and local data resources and primary data collection methods
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The Children’s Trust
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Work-related Task
Data 101 with Community Facts
Illustrates basic data concepts using a local data portal by having participants complete a “data plan,” going from a basic question to data-informed analysis
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Shift Research Lab, The Piton Foundation
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General Data Literacy
Local Data Website
Local Data Website
Data 101: Data Visualization, Data Literacy, and Storytelling
Teaches foundational data literacy, including exploration of basic concepts in data visualization, storytelling, and mapping—all using printed materials without computers
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Western Pennsylvania Regional Data Center and Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
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General Data Literacy
Data Analysis Basics: Using Excel Or Google Sheets
Learn to analyze data with accessible tools
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Communities Count
Communities of Opportunity
Communities of Opportunity
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General Data Literacy
Data Literacy
Introduces the Four C’s of understanding data—correlation, characteristic, comparison, and correlation—and has in-class exercises that can be adapted to other local websites.
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Data Spark, University of Rhode Island
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General Data Literacy
Local Data Website
Local Data Website
Data Playbook (beta)
A great source of tested materials on a variety of aspects of basic data literacy
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International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
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General Data Literacy
Data Sharing, Storage, & Consent
Describes the importance of data collection and security
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Community Research Institute, Grand Valley State University
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Work-related Task
Data Training for Cities in South King County
Teaches participants to use qualitative and quantitative data to tell compelling stories about their communities and engage key stakeholders
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Public Health– Seattle and King County
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General Data Literacy
Local Data Website
National Data Source
Work-related Task
Local Data Website
National Data Source
Work-related Task
Data Usability: Designing Data for Consumption
Introduces city employees to time-saving data management, cleaning, and design concepts to simplify reporting and data analysis. Also included post-training survey to measure impact.
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DataSF, City of San Francisco
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Software
Desktop GIS 101: Analyzing Data and Creating Maps
Includes detailed exercises to walk students through introductory GIS, mapping, and spatial analysis
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University of Minnesota
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Software
Developing Your Own Community Survey
Learning the basics of survey design
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Communities Count
Communities of Opportunity
Communities of Opportunity
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General Data Literacy
Environmental and Sustainability Data Workshop
Introduces beginners to different types of data and their limitations in local use, it also links to research and citations for measuring sustainability
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Data Driven Detroit
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General Data Literacy
Work-related Task
Work-related Task
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Communities Count
Communities of Opportunity
Communities of Opportunity
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General Data Literacy
Find Existing Data
Learning the strengths, weaknesses, and costs of readily available data sets
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The Polis Center at IUPUI
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General Data Literacy
Finding And Using Data To Tell Stories
Learning to tell stories with data
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Communities Count
Communities of Opportunity
Communities of Opportunity
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General Data Literacy
Frame the Problem
Learning to ask measurable question
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The Polis Center at IUPUI
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General Data Literacy
How to Use Census and Other Data Sites
Trains participants to use American FactFinder to access publicly available datasets for local needs and introduces additional related tools, such as OnTheMap and the QWI Explorer
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Neighborhood Nexus
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General Data Literacy
Local Data Website
National Data Source
Local Data Website
National Data Source
Introduction to Data Analysis with R
Offers advanced training using an open-source software package available for free and applicable anywhere
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US Department of Commerce
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Software
Introduction To Data Visualization
Representing data and visualizations
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Communities Count
Communities of Opportunity
Communities of Opportunity
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General Data Literacy
Introduction to Statistical Analysis
Provides materials and a course outline from statistical analysis at an introductory level
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Datapolitan
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General Data Literacy
Quantitative Analysis
Quantitative Analysis