DataWorks Archive
The DataJam Download - April 2024 // Issue 19
DataJam Final Presentations will be scheduled April 17th-23rd
Each DataJam team will be scheduled to give a final presentation to a panel of 3 judges for a half-hour time block that will be scheduled between April 17th -23rd. Dr. Cameron will reach out to each team the first week of April to schedule the team’s final presentation. All final presentations will be scheduled on Zoom. The schedule will be:
0-5 min Introduction of judges
5-15 min Team presentation & slides
15-25 min Questions from judges
25-30 min Available for questions from teams to judges
As you are preparing for your DataJam Final Presentation, please review our Guide to Giving an Effective DataJam Presentation on the Resources page of the DataJam website. It was produced by two DataJam mentors: Diogo Santos & Essence Crosdale, who were featured in the Meet the Mentor column in Issue 13 of the DataJam Download in October 2023.
The DataJam Download - March 2024 // Issue 18
DataJam Posters Due Friday, March 29, 2024
DataJam posters are due Friday, March 29, 2024 from all teams participating in the 2024 DataJam! See the 2024 DataJam Guidebook (page 9) for instructions for how to make the poster. The criteria that will be used to judge the poster are in the Guidebook on pages 10-11.
We have resources on the Resources page of the website (thedatajam.org) to guide you in how to make an effective poster. This resource “Making Your DATAJAM POSTER”, pictured to the left, was developed by two DataJam mentors, Angelina Jia and Mahitha Ramachandran, who are also featured in this month’s Meet the Mentor section of this newsletter!
The DataJam Download - February 2024 // Issue 17
Check The DataJam out on Instagram!
Join us on Instagram for a thrilling journey that inspires future data scientists. From high school competitions to fostering data fluency, we're dedicated to igniting curiosity and passion for STEM. Follow us for updates, insights, and a glimpse into the dynamic realm of Big Data and Data Science. Don't miss out! Explore #DataJam and join the conversation today!
Exciting news! Our website has been reformatted for mobile devices, making it easier than ever to access valuable resources and stay connected on the go. Check it out at thedatajam.org!
The DataJam Download - January 2024 // Issue 16
New Help with Finding DataSets for Your DataJam Project!
Discover the essence of open data with our comprehensive guides, tailored to demystify datasets from diverse sources. Navigate to the Datasets tab on the DataJam website. Customized guides on different topics are listed first and then international, national, and regional dataset links are listed. NEW this month are guides for using some of the regional datasets. You can recognize them as they have the same logo as the dataset but say “Guide To:”. Happy exploring and analyzing!
The DataJam Download - December 2023 // Issue 15
DataJam has a New Website and Email Address!
The DataJam website can now be accessed at a new url: www.thedatajam.org. We can also be contacted at a new email address: datajam@thedatajam.org.
We think this will make it much easier to reach our website where there are many valuable resources for all teams working on DataJam projects. We also urge you to stop using our old email address and convert to using datajam@thedatajam.org for all correspondence.
The DataJam Download - November 2023 // Issue 14
Academic Data Science Alliance (ADSA)
Judy Cameron and Catherine Cramer from the Pittsburgh DataWorks Advisory Board attended the 2023 ADSA meeting in San Antonio, Texas and presented a poster about the DataJam, and participated in the “Learning and Doing Data for Good Workshop”. The workshop was coordinated by DataWorks partner “The NSF West Big Data Innovation Hub” and included examples of how project-based learning of data science is pivotal in providing high school and college students with important experiences in using data science for community good. Presentations were about the DataJam, the Data Science Discovery Program at UC Berkeley, and Data Science for Social Good at the University of Washington. DataJam is proud to be a partner in the nationwide movement to introduce the next generation to the power of data science!
The DataJam Download - October 2023 // Issue 13
Schedule an Intro to the DataJam Presentation
We're thrilled to announce that DataJam mentors are available to give short presentations about what the DataJam is to your school! These engaging sessions will provide students with valuable insights into what DataJam is all about, what resources are available to help teams develop and undertake a DataJam project, and how to put together a winning project.
To schedule a presentation, simply reach out to us at datajam@pghdataworks.org. Don't miss out on this fantastic opportunity to learn about the world of data science and analytics. These presentations will be held via Zoom for your convenience.
Get ready to dive into the world of DataJam and unleash your data-driven potential! Stay tuned---this monthly newsletter will provide updates about new resources available to DataJam teams, introduce you to DataJam mentors and professionals who use data science in their careers, and what is going on with the DataJam all around the country.
The DataJam Download - September 2023 // Issue 12
National Workshop on Data Science Education
The DataJam was highlighted this summer at the National Workshop on Data Science Education held at the University of California at Berkeley, as a good example of real-world data science project-based learning.
The workshop showcased the importance of project-based learning in data science education. DataJam was recognized as developing practical data science skills, promoting ethical considerations when working with data, and creating workforce pipelines.
See the full article in the News Sections of the Pittsburgh DataWorks Homepage
The DataJam Download - June 2023 // Issue 11
DataJam 2023 Finale Winning Team Presents at Google in Pittsburgh
See Video of the Team Presentation on the Homepage!
The DataJam Download - May 2023 // Issue 10
DataJam 2023 Finale Winners!
See the Finale Video and Posters on the pghdataworks.org homepage!
The DataJam Download - April 2023 // Issue 9
Final Posters Due – March 31st, 2023 (*ask for time extension if needed)
• See the DataJam Guidebook’s instructions for preparing your posters (can be downloaded on the DataJam page of pghdataworks.org website)
• Email your poster to us at datajam@pghdataworks.org as a pdf file
Schedule a Final Presentation – April 21, 24, 25, 26
• Email datajam@pghdataworks.org to let us know when you would like to schedule your team’s final presentation to judges
• Times available 4/21/23, 4/24/23, 4/25/23 and 4/26/23 from 10 AM – 2 PM, EST (provide us with your first, second and third choices)
DataJam Finale – Thursday April 27th (5:30-7:00 PM EST)
• All team projects will be presented
• A number of awards will be given to DataJam Teams
The DataJam Download - March 2023 // Issue 8
On the Resource Page of the DataWorks Website: See the New Guide on Data Visualization in R with GGPlot2 by Kevin Xu & Jeremy Tych Getting started with R Studio has never been easier! Generate summary statistics to get a glimpse of the data and what it is trying to tell you. Summary statistics can provide great insights that help you visually explore the dataset. Read the guide to learn more!
The DataJam Download - February 2023 // Issue 7
See the New Guide on Asking DataJam Questions about Public Health, on the Resource Page of the Dataworks Website, Developed by Yunge Xiao!
The DataJam Download - January 2023 // Issue 6
Many DataJam projects are asking research questions about their community, and it is important in all such projects to make sure that you have data available from all members of the community, considering diversity in socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, language, disabilities and gender. If a portion of the community is left out in your dataset, your project will not be telling you the whole picture about the research question you are asking. This new guide on “Data Science & Diversity”, developed by Srija Konduru, provides helpful pointers on how to make sure you are considering your whole community in the research questions you are asking.
The DataJam Download - December 2022 // Issue 5
Proposals for the 2023 DataJam are due Friday, December 2, 2022. However, the deadline is flexible and if your team will be submitting a proposal later, just email us at datajam@pghdataworks.org and let us know when to expect your proposal. See page 6 of the 2023 DataJam Guidebook (that can be downloaded from the bottom of the DataJam page at the Pittsburgh DataWorks website (pghdataworks.org) for the Proposal Template. Email your completed proposal to datajam@pghdataworks.org.
The DataJam Download - November 2022 // Issue 4
Pittsburgh DataWorks is pleased to have won the 2022 Carnegie Science Award for Best Interdisciplinary Approach to STEM Education. Dr. Judy Cameron, Director of Pittsburgh DataWorks (second from right) stands with mentors Taylor Mathis (right), Jackson Filosa and Callie Labaucher (left).
The DataJam Download - October 2022 // Issue 3
The first year of the DataJam being offered nationally was last year, for the 2022 DataJam! Ken Chiacchia, a reporter for our affiliate Pittsburgh Supercomputer Center, wrote a wonderful news article highlighting this expansion and some of the projects undertaken by the new teams! Check it out on the homepage of the Pittsburgh Dataworks website.
The DataJam Download - September 2022 // Issue 2
Pittsburgh DataWorks has been proactive in developing resources to encourage DataJam participation to a wide diversity of communities. Currently, both the DataJam and the university course that trains DataJam mentors, are being expanded nationwide using a collaborative blended simultaneous learning environment (BSLE) strategy. The collaborative, interdisciplinary approach will allow mentors to be trained in a variety of locations and receive increased training in how to facilitate high school teams participating in DataJam in underresourced urban environments, rural environments, in immigrant communities and on Native American reservations. The awards ceremony will be October 13, 2022.
The DataJam Download - June 2022 // Issue 1
This month DataJam News is focused on the 2022 DataJam finale, with a video of the finale and posters of the four winning teams. Click on the posters to see them enlarged with brief summaries of the winning projects!
2022 DataJam Finale
The 2022 DataJam Finale as recorded on video conference on April 28th, 2022.
Watch here as the students present all their hard work and findings by explicating hypotheses using data analysis!
Norwin High School DataJam Team presented their project “Analyzing the Legacy of Redlining in Pittsburgh” at PPG on 6/16/22
Congratulations to the Norwin High School DataJam Team! As part of the First Place prize for the 2022 DataJam, the team was invited to give their DataJam project presentation to the data analysts attending the PPG Digital Organization Town Hall on Thursday, June 16, 2022. Members of the team, Aaron Berger, Dmitri Berger and Rex Wu, accompanied by their teacher, Ciminy St. Clair, presented their project entitled “Analyzing the Legacy of Redlining in Pittsburgh” and fielded questions from members of the PPG data analytical team from around the world. Check out their poster above, and watch their presentation on the left!
Winning Teams
2021 DataJam Finale
The 2021 DataJam Finale as recorded on video conference on May 6th, 2021.
Watch here as the students present all their hard work and findings by explicating hypotheses using data analysis!
Winning Teams
Peters Township DataJam Presentation at PPG Industries
DataJam competition creates path for future data professionals, interested in discovering and exploring important community and societal topics with a head start on future education and career paths within data science fields. (2021)
Credit: Breanna Franchak, Pine Richland High School, and Cassidy Power, University of Pittsburgh
Making Data Lemonade
As the COVID-19 Pandemic steamrolls the nation, is isolation an Opportunity for Pittsburgh-Area High Schoolers to Learn Data Science? (2020)
What is the Covid-19 Project?
Pittsburgh DataWorks offered teens in the Pittsburgh region the opportunity to learn more about the COVID-19 pandemic and all the implications it may have on our world in the Spring of 2020!
Together we analyzed publicly available datasets that provided information on the number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths due to Covid-19; how the disease differentially affected people of different ages, different races and with various underlying medical problems; the impact of COVID-19 on mental health, businesses, schools and much more. We studied global trends, U.S. trends, and Allegheny County trends.
Students were encouraged to do analysis with groups of other students or on their own. We provided students with all the help and guidance needed, through our team of Data Analysis mentors. This gave students the opportunity to see how analytics is practiced in a real world application in real time.
By participating, students:
• learned what data is available related to the Covid-19 pandemic
• understood the uses and limitation of different data sources
• had the opportunity to discuss with others the different approaches to analyzing data relevant to the pandemic
• understood how different data tools can be used to manipulate data
• had the opportunity to discuss how data analyses can be used to make real world decisions
We used Slack for sharing data and having e-conversations, in addition to Zoom conferencing to talk together as a group on a regular basis. Teens joined us on these platforms to work on becoming data savvy and to learn much more about how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the world we live in!
PROJECT SPOTLIGHT: BREANNA AND CASSIDY
Left: An animation as the country was closing down state by state with the Covid-19 epidemic. This was made by a student, Breanna Franchak from Pine Richland high school working with Cassidy Power, a mentor.
THE FOLLOWING IS AN EXCERPT FROM AN ARTICLE WRITTEN BY THE PPG FOUNDATION:
PPG Foundation grant helps high school students apply data-driven science to COVID-19
Creating a mathematical model to help predict the course of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in Pennsylvania. Developing an interactive map to demonstrate how reduced travel in each state correlates with the number of new COVID-19 cases. While this may sound like the intricate work of professional data scientists, it is the product of high school students participating in Pittsburgh DataWorks projects such as the DataJam, a program offering hands-on data science experience and exploration into future career paths.
When Pittsburgh Dataworks, a nonprofit organization formed by software scientists and educators to help make Pittsburgh a “data-savvy” city, initially planned the annual DataJam competition, organizers couldn’t have anticipated the critical role data is currently playing to help the U.S. safely reopen amid the COVID-19 shutdowns.
Beginning in 2013, the DataJam competition was a collaborative project of Pittsburgh-area universities, companies and high schools. Today it’s a platform for student-led analysis projects examining a variety of topics including factors that affect a school districts success in educating students, factors that lead most often to 911 calls, the impact of various factors on obesity rates in a region, the influence of bike lanes on air quality --- a program funded by a grant from the PPG Foundation.
According to Devashish Saxena, vice president and chief digital officer, PPG, DataJam is a hands-on, concrete way to help students discover not just the process of data science, but the importance of it in aiding how decisions are made at all levels in government, organizations and companies all over the world.
On May 28, the virtual finale of DataJam included speaking remarks from data-industry leaders including Saxena.
“I was really impressed with the students’ ingenuity, and especially their openness in continuing to explore the data sets and what they were learning,” said Saxena. “The process of exploration is critical as it helps keep us open to learning new things.”
The PPG Foundation grant helped the 2020 DataJam to shift from an in-person competition to a virtual, project-led program and to expand its reach and remote access to additional students with a second project, the Pittsburgh DataWorks COVID-19 project. The COVID-19 was completely virtual and high school students from all over the greater Pittsburgh region were able to join videoconferences twice a week that focused on analyzing data relevant to various aspects of the COVID-19 epidemic, such as the mental health consequences, the impact on local Pittsburgh businesses, and the utility of the stay at home orders. The high schoolers participating in this project and their undergraduate mentors from the University of Pittsburgh connected via teleconference for weeks to study a number of factors in the COVID-19 pandemic.