Posts by Michelle Riordan-Nold
2023 Annual Report Letter

2023 was another banner year for CTData! In 2023, we developed our first strategic plan. Moving forward, CTData will be building and growing in two areas where we have expertise and feel we can best support the social sector – data capacity building and research and analysis.

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Michelle Riordan-Nold
CTData Accepted as a Partner in the National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership!

Driven by the track record and commitment of the Connecticut Data Collaborative (CTData) to improve data literacy, the use of data, and the involvement of residents – including youth – in the development of data to improve lives in Hartford, CTData has been accepted as a partner in the National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership, one of the nation’s premier organizations in the field.   

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CTData Conference 2021 Recap: Coffee with CTData

Many folks only interact with one person or just part of our organization, and people are often surprised to hear about different aspects of our work they had never heard about. We decided that at this year’s conference we would share with you all that we do at CTData. You can watch the video and access the slides below or explore other conference sessions and information at our 2021 conference hub.

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Connecticut Data Collaborative to Participate in Cross-Sector Initiative Led by Connecticut Children’s

Connecticut Children’s is leading a five year, multi-partner, cross-sector effort designed to improve the lives of children in North Hartford under a new $30 million dollar grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Among the partners is the Hartford Data Collaborative, an initiative within the Connecticut Data Collaborative (CTData).

The Connecticut Data Collaborative is proud to join with Connecticut Children’s and all the partners in this important work, and broaden the breadth and scope of the Hartford Data Collaborative initiative, an ongoing collaboration with Hartford agencies and community leaders that facilitates data sharing, integration, and analysis to optimize services and outcomes for Hartford residents.

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Reopen or Stay Home? Connecticut Surveys Show Mixed Results

With unemployment rates and claims for unemployment benefits rising, Connecticut businesses are grappling with how to be more agile, moving their work online, and altering business-as-usual to safely return employees to work. The State has developed advisory groups such as Reopen Connecticut Advisory Board and hired consulting firms to understand and plan for the next phase. These efforts assume that employees feel safe returning to work and that businesses have enough reserves to manage through the crisis. Survey results suggest that may not be the case in Connecticut.

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COVIDeracy: Data Literacy in Uncertain Times

At CTData, we are data people and believe data is for everyone. We know access to reliable and trustworthy resources is essential to increasing data literacy and informing decision making, especially during a global health crisis. We also know unless you were trained as an epidemiologist, it can be difficult to understand how to read and interpret the information being disseminated.

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Some Fairfield Cities May Be Flattening the COVID-19 Curve

Given our close proximity to New York state, Connecticut has been hit hard by COVID-19. In fact, a recent New York Times article reported four of Connecticut’s metro areas in the top 15 nationally for the number of new deaths in the last two weeks: Fairfield County (#2), Hartford (#3), New Haven (#6), and Torrington (#11). Statewide, the number of confirmed cases continues to climb as testing becomes more accessible. As of Monday, April 27, Connecticut had 90,746 tests completed; 25,997 confirmed cases; 1,758 hospitalizations; and 2,012 deaths. On average, per 1000 residents, that is approximately 25.34 tests, 7.26 confirmed cases, 0.49 hospitalizations, and 0.56 deaths.

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Income in Connecticut: The Source Shapes the Story—Part III, Student Loans

Research student loans and the term “crisis” tends to appear in the search results. Student loan debt has been increasing steadily as the cost of education rises in our country, with student loan debt accounting for over $1.5 trillion in 2019 compared to $260 billion in 2004. In fact, 11% of consumer debt is attributed to student loans with the average student loan debt being around $37,000.

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Preparing for Census 2020: Resources You Can Use

With the 2020 decennial Census happening this Spring, it is important for communities to work together to make sure that everyone is counted. We rely on these dollars to support services and infrastructure within our communities. In fact, for every person not counted, Connecticut loses approximately $2,900 in funding to other states, as well as funding for important community services and infrastructure.

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4 Quick Tips for Engaging People with Data

Empowering people to engage with data is one of the largest challenges facing policymakers, businesses, and community and advocacy organizations. For many individuals, “data” can be an intimidating word that brings to mind an indecipherable spreadsheet or conjures up memories of high school algebra. To help data analysts in their mission, we’ve created the following four quick tips for engaging people with data.

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Differential Privacy: Assessing 2020 Concerns using 2010 Census Data

To help data users assess the impacts of differential privacy in their communities, CTData used the IPUMS joint data release to develop an interface to compare the original 2010 town-level data with what the 2010 town-level data would look like if differential privacy was applied.

To what extent did the original 2010 Census data change after differential privacy was applied? We’ll look at a few variables below as examples. You can see what these and other variables look like in your community by visiting CTData’s interactive online tool.

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CTData 2019 Annual Report

CTData celebrated a year of transition and growth in 2019. We launched innovative new data projects, welcomed three new staff members, and assumed the role of leading the Hartford Data Collaborative—an initiative centered on building an integrated data system across nonprofits and the city.

As the Connecticut Census State Data Center, we bolstered our outreach around Census 2020, culminating in a series of workshops at our annual conference in November that provided crucial insights into planning for the decennial count.

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Census 2020 Workshops for Nonprofits in January - Census starts in March

As 2020 begins, the fast-approaching decennial 2020 United States Census looms large. To increase awareness and understanding of the importance of the census to Connecticut, to explain precisely how it will work, and to seek the assistance of organizations in communities statewide, the Connecticut Community Nonprofit Alliance, Connecticut Council for Philanthropy and Connecticut Data Collaborative will be co-sponsoring a series of workshops for nonprofit organizations throughout January.

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Census 2020 Update: The Latest News from Connecticut’s Complete Count Committees

With 111 days until Census Day 2020 (April 1, 2020), the clock is ticking and communities must be ready to count everyone. That was the message that reverberated throughout the room during the December 10th Connecticut Complete Count Committee meeting, held at the State Capitol. This meeting brought together state leadership, Local Complete Count Committee (LCCC) representatives, service organizations, funders, and Census Bureau staff to brainstorm how to reach hard-to-count populations such as young children, those living in group quarters, and immigrant communities.

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Collaborations Essential for a Complete Census Count in 2020

Having a complete and accurate count of Connecticut communities during the 2020 Census is not merely an ambition—it’s a necessity. The information collected will determine how federal funding is allocated to Connecticut and will also inform federal and state-level redistricting. In fact, the 2010 Census resulted in nearly $11 billion flowing annually into Connecticut for essential programs and services like schools, transportation, emergency preparedness, and health interventions.

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