EDC Launches New Data Pathways Program for Community Colleges

EDC’s new initiative—Mentoring New Data Pathways in Community Colleges—is helping faculty in six community colleges design programs to prepare students for data science and analytics careers.

Led by the Oceans of Data Institute at EDC, and funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the initiative responds to the NSF’s call for innovative work focused on harnessing the data revolution and addresses the nationwide need to expand the data science and analytics workforce.

EDC is partnering with three community colleges: Bunker Hill Community College (MA), Sinclair Community College (OH), and Normandale Community College (MN). Each college has experience developing data science programs and will serve as mentoring institutions.

The community colleges that will receive mentoring are Bridgerland Technical College (UT), Del Mar College (TX), Green River College (WA), Harford Community College (MD), Nashville State Community College (TN), and Honolulu Community College (HI). These six colleges were selected based on their eagerness and readiness to build new data science programs within their institutions.

“We are excited to help these colleges support students in pursuing data science careers,” says Joyce Malyn-Smith, the project’s principal investigator. “In addition, we invite all community colleges to join our new online community of practice focused on data science programs.”