Big data is big fun

CRDS Workshop

Are you a data scientist, educator, or community leader who is interested in using data to inform socially and/or culturally relevant environmental issues?

We are pleased to announce that we will be holding a two-day workshop where interdisciplinary teams will discuss the development of culturally responsive data science curricula in the environmental sciences. This event, which aims to help make data science more inclusive and accessible, is supported by Code for Science and Society.

What is socially and culturally relevant data science?

A key aspect of social and cultural relevance is asking users what is relevant to them, so we hope that you will help us answer this question! We have primarily been thinking about social and cultural relevance through two perspectives:

environmental data science curricula that can easily be scaled to have local relevance, regardless of location (e.g., citizen science projects like iNaturalist or Budburst that have broad data coverage),
environmental data science curricula that have a clear social component (e.g., environmental justice issues). We hope that by collectively deconstructing pre-existing curricula, we can work together to identify the necessary components of relevant data science.

What are the workshop goals and outcomes?

The ultimate goal of the workshop is to contribute to making data science more inclusive and accessible. We will learn from each other, and ultimately use the insight from this workshop to provide recommendations for future interdisciplinary collaborations in creating socially and culturally relevant curricula. We expect our to submit a peer-reviewed publication on this topic. Though we will not have time during the workshop to create curricula, we can facilitate ongoing development of curricula for interested groups.

What will the structure of the workshop be?

This workshop will be a 10-hour commitment of asynchronous and synchronous learning, collaborating, and creating. Participants will receive a stipend for their time. Support is available for participants who would be otherwise unable to attend due to caretaking duties.

Prior to the workshop, resources will be provided to kickstart engagement with the issues we will be addressing during the workshop. The workshop will apply a deconstruction/reconstruction approach. We will first examine pre-existing data-driven environmental science curricula with a social or cultural component. Next, we will work on developing a framework for interdisciplinary development of relevant curricula and connect participants with datasets that address their environmental questions of interest.

Who can apply?

We will be seeking data scientists, educators, and community leaders to join this effort. Our event will be limited to 20 participants selected to represent diverse perspectives and expertise. If you have pre-existing interdisciplinary collaborations that could inform this effort, we encourage you to apply as a team. Pre-existing collaborations are not, however, necessary.