Everett Impactathons 18: Visualizing Inequality
Project Overview
Our project this year was committed to cultivating an empowering workshop that taught participants to feel comfortable utilizing data science and justice, with the use of digital tech to design visual media that was capable of conveying and spreading awareness around data justice. Our goal was to raise awareness around the issues surrounding data science policies, the surveillance state, and the commodification of personal data while also teaching tools that could build on their professional development.
We hoped that by using these different tools, participants would have the opportunity to express their findings in ways that provoked social change, engaged them technologically, and placed them in a real-life situation within their communities-- which we did by offering them real social factors such as (housing, income, wages, education, and job opportunities) from the Watsonville community.
Everett Impactathons 2022
Social Justice Team
Fernando A. Gallardo
Charlie Delgado
This experience has allowed me to understand what it means to make an impact within project planning/implementation. I grew to understand how important it is to make sure we enter with the right mindset to take on heavy project planning and working with others. The team is the foundation and without a strong foundation, there is no true connection or relevance between us and the project.
What I learned most from this experience was the value of interacting with local communities to create change in unique and diverse settings to create new understandings of social justice. Representation of this topic was extremely important an,e a big difference for our workshop.
IMPACTATHON 18
-MEET THE TEAM-
Getting to participate in the 2022 Impactathons project was an unforgettable experience that gave me a newfound understanding and outlook on my career in tech. I've had the opportunity learn from my community and my team without whom this project would not have been possible. I feel inspired to pursue a future in social outreach and community organizing while working in Computer/Software Engineering fields.
As a sociology major, It was really impacting being able to work with the community in a technological aspect, and seeing the change/drive that derived from each participant. After this project, I hope to begin working with other non-profits in terms of building a community that serves the underserved and works towards a better tomorrow.
Tech Team
Jhovanny Uribe
Daniel A. Vega
The NEST is a non-profit, that provides underserved Latinx youth in California with high-tech training and collaboration spaces, that offers job training and career development programs that have helped over 140+ members get placed in high-quality career-track jobs, internships, and college.
TECH TOOLS UTILIZED
Google Sheets
Google Forms
Google Sites
Canva
PROJECT DELIVERABLES
For our project, we created a website with a timeline that allowed participants to follow along through the workshop.
The website also includes a section where participants can return to and look at the information that was taught, additional resources, as well as their Infographics.
WEBSITE
SOCIAL JUSTICE CURRICULUM
TECH WORKSHOP
PROJECT OUTCOMES
Achieved a day-long workshop engaging 11 participants closely with topics around data science and infographic creation.
Created data science/tech tool curriculum that focused on data justice to take agency over personal data and find different outlets to use data for social change with canva/google sheets.
Analysis of surveys which showed increased confidence in engaging topics around data science and understanding graphs by 35%
PROJECT MILESTONES
Partnered with the DigitalNEST
Completed 2021-2022 Impactathon Proposal
Completed Data Science Curriculum
Visited the DigitalNEST
Connected with Miriam Uribe to join as a Guest Speaker
Created Impactathon Website
Completed/held workshop At the DigitalNEST
Pre-Post Survey Results
Completed 2021-2022 Impactathon Practicum
Completed the Everett Program Showcase Presentation
PROJECT IMPACT
PRE SURVEY
POST SURVEY
TESTIMONIES
"It was great to work with other students, learn their passions, and engage together. I learned a lot about how tech can be implemented through Miriam in community organizing, which empowered me. Working with other Everett students and with Digital Nest students makes me want to collaborate more!" (Participant 1, 2022)
"It has made me think in detail about how data science is beneficial and how this should be talked about in so many different environments. I think there should be a class about this actually in college and workshops free to the community about it for older folks as well." (Participant 2, 2022)
"It helped me realize that using graphics and digital resources can be used to advance many fields, not just the tech field. I work with foster youth and I think that using infographics and other digital tools could be super helpful in spreading information about the foster population. This could be impactful in terms of finding community connections and donations for children in the foster system." (Participant 3, 2022)
"It opened my eyes to other possible job paths I could embark on." (Participant 4, 2022)
HEADS
One main takeaway from working with data science is the array of institutional use of data processes to reach desired outcomes. A large challenge with that is not only making people aware but getting them encouraged and comfortable interacting with data systems while thinking about change.
Keeping in mind, we use these systems every day to do everything and give them space to critically think about social issues that can benefit from data representation. Who does and doesn’t get tracked?
What groups or issues are misrepresented and how can we properly engage with them to facilitate change in communities of need?
Overall, we learned the importance of systemic change as a process of change for all involved and putting your all into the development and implementation.
HEARTS
During these last few weeks, we have learned that teamwork is key when it comes to group work, as well as the importance of communication when it comes to finishing up tasks and other goals. By having a clear understanding, and setting tasks for each of us, we were able to successfully finish all necessary tasks before our Impactathon.
HANDS
Tech tools learned: CANVA, Google Sheets, Google Site
When trying to develop tech skills within these tech tools, we found it really helpful to learn what each tab within them did, for example, google sheets has a tab that was really helpful when it came to creating graphs since it goes off selected columns on the data you have collected).
We also found that going back and practicing the different tools, as well as creating examples that we could use during the workshop, was really helpful when it came to demonstrating the overall goal to the participants.
Creating cheat sheets for each tech tool being taught, allowed participants to have an easier way to follow along, as well as have a guide for every tab/tool we thought would be most helpful when creating their graphs and infographics.
MEDIA
