Recent Events


20 May 2024

R Programming: Basic

The R Programming: Basic course will provide participants with fundamental knowledge of the R programming language for working with multiple types of data, reproducible research, data manipulation, and reporting.

Participants in the course will have the opportunity to explore synthetic microdata, based on commonly used administrative data, using the Rstudio development environment and tools from the tidyverse suite of R packages within the ADRF secure data environment. Topics include R data types and their manipulation using the tidyverse, project usage, data management, and using R for reporting and constructing publication-quality output and reports. Upon completion of this short course, participants will have exposure and experience with core elements of the R programming language, and experience using R for fundamental data analysis and reporting tasks, preparing them for more advanced coursework in applied data analytics. Tuition for this course is $1,000. This course is only available to applicants in the United States. This course has no prerequisites and is offered 2-3 times per year. The next course will meet weekly from May 20th to June 10th from 12 - 2 PM EST

19 Mar 2024

4th Annual National Convening - Building Bridges, Breaking Barriers: Data Collaboration for the Public Good

Join us for the Coleridge Initiative’s 4th Annual National Convening - Building Bridges, Breaking Barriers: Data Collaboration for the Public Good. The Convening will be held from March 18th - 20th, 2024, at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia. Please note that March 18th is reserved for meetings of state agencies, institutions, and entities supporting the Multi-State Data Collaboratives in partnership with NASWA and SHEEO. General registration is closed. If you are a partner and would still like to register, please contact us at info@coleridgeinitiative.org.

In today’s data-driven world, the successful design of government policies and practices relies heavily on strategic collaboration between data partners. Coleridge Initiative’s Annual Convenings are designed to showcase the transformative potential of leveraging administrative data through state, federal, and private collaborations. In this year’s program, we will explore how leaders in the field are pushing the boundaries of traditional governance, forging data partnerships, and reshaping the future of public policy and administration. Attendees can expect to gain insights into how data collaboration can lead to better outcomes in public policy and administration, as well as learn about innovative projects, products, and practices that are driving change in the field. The Convening will feature sessions designed to provide attendees with valuable knowledge and networking opportunities. Some of the highly anticipated sessions include: Fireside Chat - Building Bridges from Data to Public Impact Philanthropic Funding Impacts on Data Innovation and Collaboration Democratizing Data Challenge Gallery Walk Poster Session Employing Strategies for Effective Code Modernization Breaking Barriers through Technology What’s Next with AI? Collaboration for the Future: What’s Next with Upcoming Projects? We invite you to join us for this exciting event and discover how we can work together to leverage data for the public good.

short course series in data visualization and analytics

01 Mar 2024

Short Course Series in Data Visualization and Analytics

The Coleridge Initiative is introducing a short course program designed to build analytic capacity among academic, state, federal, and policy-focused researchers. The program will offer different course topics with modules enhancing data literacy and technical skills through rigorous and modern methods of analysis.

Each short course will focus on a specific topic that will be presented through a series of three levels: basic, intermediate, and advanced. Classes will begin on March 1st, 2024 via Zoom. Tuition for this course is $1,000. Please be advised that we have limited seats available. Selected participants will be notified via email and remaining applicants will be placed on a waitlist.  What is covered in this course? The first course in the series of three courses focuses on Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA) and data visualization. The course is an introduction to applied data analysis and data visualization using the R programming language. Topics include the use of the tidyverse suite of packages for data access, manipulation, and summarization as well as coverage of data visualization using the ggplot2 and plotly packages.  What will you get from this course? Upon completion of this short course, participants will have introductory exposure to tools that are applicable to a wide variety of research settings and that will prepare them for more advanced coursework in applied data analytics. Who should apply? These courses are useful for people interested in learning how to use R for applied data analysis. Government employees, researchers, and graduate students are encouraged to apply, and partial subsidies are available for state and local government staff and currently enrolled students.  Course Pedagogy To accomplish this, we are offering a unique opportunity - particularly for government staff at all levels - to develop skills in modern data science tools through a focused curriculum that provides hands-on experience with micro-level data hosted in the Administrative Data Research Facility, Coleridge Initiative's secure cloud-based computing platform. Courses will be taught remotely using Zoom, and will meet 1 day a week, for 2 hours, for four weeks. Practical assignments will be given to participants to practice the materials from the course. Weekly office hours will be conducted to answer questions on course content. Intermediate and Advanced Courses The second and third courses in this series will feature more advanced content. The second course, Fundamentals of R Programming, will provide participants with fundamental knowledge of the R programming language for working with multiple types of data, reproducible research, data manipulation and reporting. The third course, Advanced Data Visualization, will provide participants with advanced tools for creation of data visualizations using the R programming language.

22 Jan 2024

Complex Data Systems and Analytical Approaches: Facilitating Evidence-Based Decision-Making

Join Coleridge Initiative VP of Product and Development, Nathan Barrett, Senior Manager of Training and Data Analytics, Benjamin Feder, and Senior Research Scientist, Corey Sparks to discuss the complex data systems and analytical approaches required to facilitate evidence-based decision-making. 12: 00 PM - 1:00 PM (EST)

Today’s policy questions require increasingly complex data systems and analytic approaches to facilitate evidence-based decision-making. The Coleridge Initiative’s Applied Data Analytics (ADA) training programs are centered around these questions and designed to both build new data infrastructure and the analytic capacity of agency staff. Coleridge's full training program topics are collaboratively developed with partner states and the curriculum is designed to demonstrate concepts through a project-based learning approach. By working hands-on with micro-level data, participants can explore the art of the possible by developing, interpreting, and communicating value-based outcomes. Coleridge is also excited to announce our short course series which takes a deeper dive into core data analytic concepts through the use of micro-level data. In this webinar session, we will provide an overview of our ADA programs, products and insights developed through the training, and an outlook on innovations that can be achieved through our programs.

19 Sep 2023

Access and Discovery of Data for the Public Good

Join Coleridge Initiative CEO, Ahu Yildirmaz, and CTO/CISO, Mahesh Sahore, to discuss the Administrative Data Research Facility (ADRF). 12 PM - 1 PM EST

The Administrative Data Research Facility (ADRF) is an award-winning, secure, cloud-based data hosting platform that enables collaboration between agencies across jurisdictions. With a focus on safe access and use of administrative data, the ADRF provides agency researchers with secure data enclaves that promote collaboration and innovation. During this webinar session, we will explain the pipeline from data ingestion to safe exports while providing a walkthrough of the ADRF including Coleridge's project isolation model and demonstrating how researchers can access their data with R or through DBeaver. We will also present a live demo of the newly launched ADRF Management Portal.

28 Mar 2023

3rd Annual National Convening: Cross-Agency Collaboration for Evidence-Building

The Coleridge Initiative's 3rd Annual National Convening highlighted the transformative potential of collaborations among government agencies and researchers that use linked administrative data to produce actionable insights to improve government programs. The first day of the conference, March 27th, was reserved for an invitation-only meeting beginning at 1:30 PM ET for the Multi-State Data Collaboratives.

States play a critical role in building evidence to improve the impact of federal programs administered at the state and local levels, and should be partners in creating the evidence-building ecosystems needed to leverage federal and state data in ways that benefit constituents, improve programs, and inform policy. This year's conference was intended to spark interest and continue to build upon the interest of federal, state, and private sector organizations to work together to harness the rich government administrative and statistical data as well as private sector data to answer important policy questions. The three-day event featured sessions developed in partnership with the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA), the National Governors Association (NGA), and the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO). Sessions highlighted state and federal projects working with linked data, state data products being used to inform policy, and the impact of the Democratizing our Data Challenge. Funded by philanthropic organizations, the Democratizing our Data Challenge gave states an opportunity to develop data products and collaborate across jurisdictions through the Multi-State Data Collaboratives. The convening also featured a panel session with leading members in the data community focused on the unique position of states to leverage their data while also collaborating with federal, private, and academic data.

30 Mar 2022

The Multi-State Data Collaboratives: from Projects to Products to Practice Convening

Join leaders from across the country for the Multi-state Data Collaboratives: From Projects to Products to Practice. This year’s convening is a response to the success of the First Annual National Convening in March 2021, the overwhelmingly positive response to the Democratizing our Data Challenge, and the rapid expansion of multi-state data collaboratives.

There is an urgent need for timely, locally relevant, data and evidence that can be used to respond to the changes in the pandemic economy, particularly for low-income learners and workers, at-risk youth, underrepresented minorities, immigrants, and formerly incarcerated individuals. New information can inform policies about investments in education and training, student debt, as well as welfare and corrections programs. Federal, philanthropic, and state partnerships have led to new projects, products, and practice for evidence building. The results are being used by many state Departments of Labor, Education and Human Services. At the National Convening, attendees will both learn about current and proposed projects and products and help set priorities for the future. In partnership with the National Association of State Workforce Agencies and State Higher Education Executive Officers Association, the Multi-state Data Collaboratives: From Projects to Products to Practice convening will introduce the regional collaboratives that are creating networks with national reach across agency and state lines. The convening will showcase the value of new products that have recently been made possible through philanthropic foundations, federal investment, and state agencies including state Departments of Labor, Education, and Human Services, and highlight new and potential partnerships, projects and products that are moving to national scale this year. The convening will also allow us to demonstrate how new approaches can be used to inform equitable decision-making.

03 Mar 2021

National Convening: Jobs Data for Evidence-Based Policy

Join leaders from across the country, representing state and federal governments, as well as philanthropic foundations and professional associations, for a dynamic two-day workshop celebrating success and mapping a strategy to grow data access, stewardship, and analysis for evidence-based policymaking.

The convening will highlight the demonstrated success of a collaboration of state workforce agencies and universities across the country, as well as tangible evidence about the value of state and federal data, and build sustainable state data infrastructure through partnerships and national support. The current COVID-19 outbreak and the resulting employment crisis have made it clear: state and local data are key to understanding and responding to local social and economic challenges. While state data systems end at state borders, there is massive potential to develop the cross-state infrastructure needed to collect, mine and use administrative data; share evidence-based practices; and establish common measures and research tools. LEARN how states have worked together to develop regional collaboratives around a framework of training, shared products, data standards and governance. SHARE your expertise and insights to the development of a national agenda and a sustainable, locally driven, national data infrastructure. GROW the community of data-oriented, evidence-based policymakers and program administrators. ACCELERATE data-driven research and policies supporting program management, policy development, and scholarly research.