Centring Racial Equity Throughout the Data Life Cycle


Data integration by government and community-based organizations is undertaken for the public good to support the interconnected needs of families and communities. Though data infrastructure is a powerful tool to support equity-oriented reforms, equity is rarely centred as a core goal for data integration. This raises fundamental concerns as integrated data increasingly provides the raw materials for evaluation, research and risk modelling. In this session, Dr. Amy Hawn Nelson and Isabel Algrant provide an overview of the newly updated Toolkit for Centering Racial Equity Throughout Data Integration and the companion Workbook, exploring how participants can apply these learnings to centre equity throughout the data life cycle in their day-to-day work.
About the Speakers:
Dr. Amy Hawn Nelson is a Research Faculty Member and the Director of Training and Technical Assistance for Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy, an initiative of the University of Pennsylvania that helps state and local governments collaborate and responsibly use data to improve lives. She supports field building for integrated data systems, which includes working with sites across the US to develop shared, purpose-driven data infrastructure that centres strong data governance. She has a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction, Urban Education from UNC Charlotte; a Masters in School Administration from UNC Charlotte; a Masters in Teaching from Johns Hopkins University; a BA in Women’s and Gender Studies and Africana Studies and a BA in Sociology from NC State University; and a Certificate of Law from the University of Pennsylvania.
Isabel Algrant is the Assistant Director of Training and Technical Assistance at Acthe University of Pennsylvania at tionable Intelligence for Social Policy (AISP) aHer work supports sustainable data governance, centring community voice, especially for those most marginalized. Before joining AISP, Isabel taught grade 8 Math and Science at the Dwight-Englewood School. She has served as an intern at the Philadelphia City Council and hosts the Why Are My Students Acting Like Children? podcast. She has a Masters in Social Policy and Data Analysis from the University of Pennsylvania and a BA in Government and Theatre from Wesleyan University.