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Get Inspired | Blog | Data Science Applications for Social Good: WiDS NextGen Data Days Workshop

WiDS Posts | May 21, 2024

Data Science Applications for Social Good: WiDS NextGen Data Days Workshop

Group of women in a room

On April 28, 2024, the WiDS NextGen Data Days Workshop was hosted by the WiDS Marin Ambassadors, Keiko Kamei and Chloe Pine, in collaboration with  Next Generation Scholars (NGS) . The event gathered “scholars,” students from high schools in the county, for an afternoon of data science workshop activities. The goal is to incorporate these newly learned skills into each scholar’s ongoing Community Uplift Projects, focused on “Data Science Applications for Social Good.” This workshop provided young scholars with hands-on experience in data science, emphasizing its potential to drive community improvements.

Collaborative Group Projects

Scholars assigned to six groups, each mentored by students from the University of San Francisco.  This “near-peer” model for facilitating this learning experience was highly effective and engaging! 

Group of students at event

Defining Success and Addressing Challenges

The workshop began with discussions on defining success for each project and identifying challenges. Key questions included:

  • What does success look like for your project?
  • How do you quantify success?
  • What analysis or data do you need to understand and improve your project?

Participants then transformed their project questions into data science problems, focusing on problem statements, target variables, and necessary data types.

Analyzing Health Equity in Oncology Data

A significant activity involved analyzing the WiDS Datathon 2024 oncology dataset to explore health equity. Key points of discussion included:

  • What does health equity look like in practice?
  • How is health equity reflected in data?
  • How can we address health disparities through data?

Participants analyzed data from 12,000 breast cancer patients diagnosed between 2015 and 2018, focusing on 23 variables, including demographics. This exercise aimed to turn broad problem statements about healthcare inequity into tangible data science problems, explore patterns, and strategize approaches to closing healthcare access gaps.

Presentation Preparation and Acknowledgments

Scholars applied what they learned to their Community Uplift Projects and prepared proposals for analyses to better understand and improve their projects’ impacts.  At the conclusion of the workshop, each scholar presented their ideas to the group.  The Community Uplift Projects span multiple topics:

  • Disability Visibility, Stand Up for AAPI Youth, Born Inclusive, Elevate Sports, Smile, Inc., [UN]Stressed Strings,United As One Marin, Community Green, Apoyo, Finding Self Partners in Purple, Cultural Literacy, Mini-Markets, Reconnecting with Media, and Workers United.

Special thanks to the Harbor Point Charitable Foundation, NGS staff, WiDS Executive Director Chisoo Lyons, WiDS Ambassadors, and mentors from USF (Caterina Ponti, Freya Morel-Seytoux, Katie Forrest, Kylie Cancilla) for their support. 

Support the next generation of girls in STEM with WiDS NextGen