Here at CTData, we enjoy every opportunity to work with people to increase their data literacy skills so they can better use data to inform their decisions. In 2019 alone, we’ve had over 275 adults attend our workshops.
But starting next month, we’re going to be training a new group of Connecticut’s residents: high school students.
This is a landmark decade for women in the labor force. Women represent nearly half of the labor force both nationally (47.2%) and in the state of Connecticut (48.6%). In addition, according to the Wall Street Journal, 2019 marks “the first year that women make up the majority of the college-educated labor force, a milestone that is already altering benefits packages offered by companies.” These changes are insightful given that labor force participation is even higher when we look at women who have had a child in the past 12 months.
CTData has traveled state to state on the conference circuit over the past few months. We recently attended the American Community Survey (ACS) Users Data Conference in Washington, DC; the National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership Meeting in Milwaukee, WI; the Census State Data Center Conference in Charlotte, NC; and the Association for Public Data Users Conference in Washington DC. One of the most pressing topics of discussion was the 2020 Census and its new differential privacy policies. To help you gain some clarity about these contested policies, we’ll provide background about the census, discuss existing privacy protections, and describe upcoming changes to Census 2020 under differential privacy.
The Connecticut Data Collaborative in partnership with the Chief Data Officer Tyler Kleykamp is hosting two Data Forums to discuss the Focal Points in the State Data Plan. This is an opportunity for state agencies and stakeholders to prioritize the most pressing data questions, identify existing data sources, discuss gaps in public data, and help create an action plan to make more data available to the public for policy decision making. The meetings will be held at CTData’s office at 10 Constitution Plaza in Hartford.
If you’re committed to improving health outcomes for children and families, data build the foundation for smarter, impactful decision making. But since data are not always easily accessible and/or available, where should you begin? Our Executive Director Michelle Riordan-Nold will provide insight into this question during the Family Access Collaborative meeting at the East Hampton Public Library on June 24th at 2:00 pm.
Do you have questions about your data collection process? Do your survey questions need a thorough examination? Are you looking to reimagine your reporting?
The Connecticut Data Collaborative is offering Data Clinics, which are 90-minute consultancy meetings where we tackle a specific data issue or challenge your organization is facing. We could review an existing or newly developed survey, examine your current data reports, or think about the data operations in your organization to improve how you capture the impact of your work.
With Census 2020 on the horizon, Riordan-Nold discussed potential census challenges—new and old. This will be the first census that people can complete online, and while this will create new opportunities for participation, Ms. Riordan-Nold reminded the audience that not all households have Internet access. According to the 2017 U.S Census American Community Survey 5-year estimates, fifteen percent of households had either no Internet subscriptions (~200,000 households) or dial-up only access (~6,700). The cities of Hartford, New Britain, Waterbury, New Haven, New London, Norwich, and Bridgeport had the highest percentage of Connecticut households with no Internet or dial-up only. North Canaan, Plainfield, Ansonia, Putnam, Derby, Winchester, and Killingly all topped the list for suburban/rural towns.
The Connecticut Data Collaborative is seeking an enthusiastic and relationship-oriented Data Coordinator to manage the data governance aspects of a new initiative, the Hartford Data Collaborative. In partnership with agencies and organizations across the city, we are developing an Integrated Data System (IDS) that will link data across agencies and enable communities, providers, researchers, and the government to understand the complex, interconnected issues facing children and families in Hartford, ultimately providing the data to be able to design programs that better meet the specific needs of the community.
The Connecticut Data Collaborative (CTData) seeks an energetic person who loves data, believes in our mission, wants to grow our organization, and join our small team as the Assistant Director.
We've been hard at work, but it's finally here! Thanks to the collaboration with our partners at the DMHAS Center for Prevention Evaluation and Statistics (CPES) at UConn Health, the SEOW Prevention Data Portal is better than ever! Read the statement from CPES below to hear more about these exciting additions. You can also see the changes for yourself here.
We have some exciting news: Connecticut’s Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz has formed a Complete Count Committee for the state, and Connecticut Data Collaborative’s Executive Director Michelle Riordan-Nold will serve as a member!
Want to earn extra money while positively impacting your community?
The Census is now hiring for full-time and part-time temporary jobs that begin in 2019 and 2020, and a majority of the openings are for census takers. Now through June 2019, most of the recruitment will be for Address Canvassing, which entails working during the day and updating lists and maps to ensure an accurate count.
Some folks believe that “home is where the heart is.” It’s their source of comfort, shelter, and a place to decompress from the day. For others, however, home is at the heart of their anxieties, especially for some Hartford residents. How can people practice healthy hygiene when they don’t have running water? How can children focus on their schoolwork when their house doesn’t have adequate heat? And how can parents make the best move for their families when the lack of affordable housing might mean choosing between rent or groceries?