Building the Field (of DSI Dreams?)

If you build it, they will come.

This memorable line from the popular American sports movie, Field of Dreams, may as well have come from the traditional playbook of program development in academia. Education and skilling programs are often built based on the expertise of an institution and the capacity of faculty. Student interest is secondary, and community need is too often absent altogether.?

At data.org’s Capacity Building for the Global DSI Workforce breakfast as part of this year’s UN General Assembly convenings, our speakers flipped the convention. Come to them – the community –?before you build it. Start with the challenges being faced and the questions being asked at the local level.

“No matter how many courses we create, how much content we make accessible, people are only going to use it when they need it,” said Hemang Jani , senior advisor to the executive director for Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Sri Lanka at the 世界银行 .?

Leading with localism is central to data.org’s approach, and we choose partners who share our commitment to engaging underrepresented communities and creating locally-designed solutions.

As a partner in our Capacity Accelerator Network, Davis Adieno , senior director of programs at the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data , described how the demand for their rigorous experiential training program is soaring, thanks to its use of real-world, localized approaches. This year, they received 3,284 applications for just 10 fellowship positions.?

Joining Jani and Adieno was Suhani Jalota , founder and CEO of the Myna Mahila Foundation and a winner of our Generative AI Skills Challenge with Microsoft. The AI-enhanced tools she has developed reduce stigma on taboo topics and improve women’s reproductive health. At the same time, she aspires to build a workforce of 1,000,000 women who can help to close the digital gender divide in India.?

Jani, Adieno, Jalota are part of a growing network of partners worldwide who share our vision and values. Subsequent UNGA convenings with 微软 and the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth reinforced the path that we are on and reinvigorated our drive to work together to build a workforce of one million purpose-driven professionals.

Cheers,

Perry Hewitt | Chief Marketing & Product Officer, DataDotOrg

Skilling That Scales

Data Elevates | Global Integrated Education Volunteers Association (GIEVA.Org)| Mississippi AI Collaborative | Myna Mahila Foundation | The Tipping Point in Education

data.org lives at that intersection of what is possible and what is practical, a truth that is evident across our innovation challenges. In our Generative AI Skills Challenge Impact Report, our awardees share their learnings from both dimensions: the unexpected ways in which data and AI has accelerated their work, and the tactical steps that may help other organizations harness its power. Hear from them directly in our post-challenge webinar.

Challenge Your View

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“I find that other communities of people who inspire me and really help move my work forward are those with opposing perspectives, or who do completely different things that I don’t get to witness daily.” Tea Tüür , head of product design at WRI‘s Data Lab, shares what brought her into the DSI field in the latest Pathways to Impact.

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As part of Financial Inclusion Week 2024, join data.org for a webinar on October 17 to explore the transformative potential of Privacy-Enhancing Technologies (PETs) in unlocking financial data to support public health decision-making, particularly in epidemiology, while ensuring responsible data practices and privacy protection. Gain a deeper understanding of how PETs encourage interdisciplinary collaboration and promote responsible data use across sectors to drive social good.