Bring Data ScienceInto Your Classroom
Register student teams for The DataJam and give them an experience no textbook can replicate — real data, real stakes, real pride.
What Your Students Gain
Applied Skills
Students work with real datasets and industry tools, reinforcing classroom concepts through hands-on problem solving.
Collaboration Experience
Teams learn to divide work, communicate findings, and present to expert judges — skills that matter beyond the classroom.
Portfolio Credit
Every student receives a certificate of participation, and winners gain a portfolio piece and recognition from industry judges.
How It Works
Register Teams in Your Class
Divide students into small groups of 2–8 and register each team. The DataJam works best when small groups choose their own research topic and collaborate across all aspects of the project.
Prepare Together
If you wish to introduce your students to data science before they take on a project for The DataJam, we have ready-made lesson plans, datasets, and warm-up exercises you can use in your classroom.
Compete & Grow
In The DataJam your students will tackle real problems with the guidance of a mentor from The DataJam. Your level of participation is up to you; but teachers play a critical role in helping teams organize, meet deadlines, and access the many resources The DataJam has available.
Past Student Projects
A hallmark of The DataJam is that every team chooses their own research question. Select a program and year to explore what students investigated.
Showing 10 of 51 projects in 2026
Curious how these posters come together? Visit our Resources page for the guides and templates teams use to build them.
From Our Teachers
Just get involved, just get started with The DataJam. I guarantee not only will you have fun — your students will be dragging you back into it the next year. It happens to me every year. As I'm getting the school year started, my students are saying ‘When will The DataJam be starting?’ They may not even be students who were in it the year before. They've just heard about it from other students and they want to get involved.
Bob Moreland
Teacher, Central Dauphin High School — Harrisburg, PA
Teacher Forms
Forms for submitting and tracking your team's competition deliverables.
Sign Up
High School Team Sign-Up Form
High School Students can sign up their team
Opens Aug 17, 2026
High School Proposal Submission Form
Submit your The DataJam - High School research proposal.
Opens Dec 4, 2026
Project Submissions
High School Poster Submission Form
Submit your The DataJam - High School poster.
Opens Mar 26, 2027
High School Presentation Submission Form
Submit your The DataJam - High School presentation.
Opens Apr 4, 2027
High School 30-Second Video Submission Form
Submit your The DataJam - High School 30-second video.
Opens Apr 22, 2027
Timeline
Follow the steps below to take your team from sign-up to The DataJam Finale.
Sign-up
Each team needs to fill out the online High School Sign-up Form on The DataJam website (thedatajam.org) and student permission slips on page 8 & 9 to be sent to datajam@thedatajam.org.
The sign-up form will ask (1) advisor name and email, (2) team name, (3) student names and emails. If you are signing up more than one team with the same advisor, please fill out one form for each team. DO NOT fill out all teams on one form. *Note that it is best to provide a non-school email address on the permission slip as many schools block outside emails, such as those from The DataJam and Slack. Once permission slips are turned in, a channel for your team will be created on The High School DataJam SLACK 2027 workspace and each team member will receive an email invited them to join the workspace.
Submit your proposal
There is a rolling deadline for teams to turn in The DataJam proposals. Use the proposal template on page 7 of this guidebook and submit it to the High School online proposal form on The DataJam’s website. Your team will receive feedback from The DataJam and further guidance on your proposed project within a week after your proposal is turned in. Proposals for the 2026–27 High School DataJam MUST BE SUBMITTED BY JANUARY 29, 2027
Projects Underway
Teams work on The DataJam projects. The DataJam mentors are available to meet with your team by Zoom or a videoconferencing service that works best for your team. The times submitted in the sign-up form will be used to match you with a mentor. Once you have a team mentor you can communicate with them regularly on the 2026–27 High School DataJam Slack workspace.
Submit your Poster
The DataJam posters are due. Follow the instructions on page 10 of this guidebook. Posters should be 24” x 36” in size and saved as a pdf file. They should be submitted to the High School posters form on The DataJam website. If the poster submission deadline is during a holiday break for your school, please make arrangements to submit your poster BEFORE your school holiday.
Submit your Presentations and Attend a Judging Session
Final slide presentations will be scheduled for each team at a time that works for both the team and the three-judge panel, who will be listening to each team. The DataJam will send a form to schedule your final presentation time. The final presentations will be held on Zoom. Teams are to submit their presentation slides to the presentation form on The DataJam’s website at least 24 hours before their presentation is scheduled.
Finale
The DataJam - High School Finale will be held on Thursday, April 22, 2027 from 5:30-7:00 PM ET (2:30-4:00 PM PT), on Zoom: https://pitt.zoom.us/j/94389494426. The DataJam teams, parents, teachers, mentors, and all who are interested are invited to attend. The DataJam team projects will be presented, and a variety of awards will be given!
Classroom Activities
Ready-made modules to supplement The DataJam learning experience. Use these activities to build data literacy skills, spark discussion, and prepare your students before competition day.
Teacher Resources
Dataset guides, analytical tools, and everything else to support your teams.
See the full list of resources on the Resources page.
208 results
Project Guides
21
Dataset Guides
31Datasets
105Stat/Graph Tutorials
41
Rubrics
2Classroom Activities
8Meet Our Mentors
160+ university students from Pitt, UC San Diego, Caldwell University, and beyond guide The DataJam teams every year.
Meet Our Mentors
Meet Our Judges
Data scientists, engineers, and industry professionals from across the country evaluate The DataJam projects every year.
Meet Our JudgesReady to Register Your Teams?
Spots fill quickly. Secure your teams' place in the next The DataJam event and give your students an experience they'll talk about for years.