Continued Collaboration for Data Projects in Detroit

Oct 9, 2018 | Meghin Mather

In December 2017, The Skillman Foundation extended their support for Data Driven Detroit (D3). This continued partnership has allowed us to perpetuate the use of data to positively impact children and communities in Detroit. Since then, D3 has (and continues to) developed data platforms, continued analysis, and provided technical support for the Foundation and its community partners.

State of the Detroit Child

In an attempt to provide centralized access to fragmented data sources, D3 created State of the Detroit Child (SDC) in 2017 as an accessible platform for data related to the health and well-being of children and the communities they live in.

This year, D3 continues to improve SDC’s technological capabilities by:

  • adding new geographies
  • allowing users to draw their own geographic boundaries
  • allowing users to view and compare historical data
  • adding new datasets while continuing to curate the existing profiles

In March 2018, D3 conducted a user test through CUTGroup Detroit, a diverse network of Detroit residents who test civic-centric technology and apps. These testing sessions help identify additional usability improvements D3 can make to ensure the platform is useful and relevant not only to the Foundation, but also to the community at large. Another test is planned for this fall and we look forward to continuing to evaluate the tools usability. Using data from SDC, D3 also developed a short infographic profile intended for off-line distribution.

Over the summer, D3 continued to develop and expand a training curriculum for SDC. With this curriculum, D3 will be able to teach residents and community leaders how to best and most effectively use the tool to inspire informed decision within their organizations or communities.

Other Data Support & Organizational Initiatives

D3 will also:

  • Continue engagement around the My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) initiative including researching potential data platforms that could support the initiative’s implementation locally.
  • Participate in conversations regarding the education data ecosystem in Detroit and continued assistance in documenting and storing education data from other partners.
  • Continue to strategize around D3’s sustainability and scalability to ensure it remains a relevant community data resource for Detroit and the region for years to come.

Data Driven Detroit works to strengthen the community data infrastructure in Detroit. With partners like the Skillman Foundation, we aim to better the lives of Detroit children and the communities they live in. Looking forward, we are eager and grateful to continue this work together toward bettering the lives of Detroit children and the communities they live in. For more information about other work D3 is conducting in partnership with the Skillman Foundation as well as the Microsoft Cities Team, check out this blog about data research we’re conducting around Opportunity Youth in Detroit. As a reminder, Opportunity Youth are young adults 16-24 years old who are neither working nor enrolled in school or a vocational training program.