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Capacity Accelerator Network (CAN)

Initiative

Capacity Accelerator Network (CAN)

CAN is building a workforce of purpose-driven data and AI practitioners to unlock the power of data for social impact.

Overview

On data.org’s march to train one million purpose-driven data and AI practitioners across the globe by 2032, CAN is empowering a more diverse pool of data and AI for social impact talent—with a focus on women and underrepresented communities—to combat our greatest social and environmental challenges.

With five accelerators based in the United States, India, Africa, Latin America, and Asia Pacific, CAN is globally informed and locally grounded through a network of more than 20 academic partners around the world. data.org invests in both supply and demand: the data talent pipeline and the capacity of social impact organizations to think, plan, and operate in a data-driven way. Through training, curriculum development, upskilling, experiential learning opportunities, and fellowships, CAN is developing data practitioners and organizational capacity with interdisciplinary capabilities, and preparing them to tackle pressing challenges in financial inclusion, climate, and public health.

UChicago CAN Summer Lab participants Salvador Tranquilino-Ramos of University of Illinois, Chicago, Launa Greer UChicago Data for Social Impact Software Engineer, Halli Lacanlale of University of Illinois, Chicago, and Gagandeep Kaur of Fresno State.
UChicago CAN Summer Lab participants Salvador Tranquilino-Ramos of University of Illinois, Chicago, Launa Greer UChicago Data for Social Impact Software Engineer, Halli Lacanlale of University of Illinois, Chicago, and Gagandeep Kaur of Fresno State.

Building the Field of Data for Social Impact

Learn more about data.org’s field-building mission and the critical need to develop purpose-driven data capacity across the globe.

 

Data Training in Action 

Explore the global network of local partners and learn about their work developing data and AI for social impact talent, curricula, and resources.

  • Asia Pacific

    The Asia Pacific Accelerator is catalyzing the application of data and AI to address systemic financial inclusion challenges. In partnership with Asian Institute of Digital Finance and the Association of Pacific Rim Universities, this accelerator is developing purpose-driven data practitioners and a training model to scale across the region.

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  • Latin America

    In partnership with the University of Javeriana, the Latin America Accelerator is creating curriculum and training materials to provide public health professionals with skills to transform data into actionable and timely insights in public health emergencies.

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  • India

    In partnership with J-PAL South Asia and three leading university partners, the India Accelerator is training purpose-driven data practitioners with interdisciplinary subject-matter expertise in climate and health data with a key focus on inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA) and intersectionality to effectively drive social impact.

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  • Africa

    In partnership with The Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data (GPSDD), the Africa Accelerator is providing social impact and government professionals with interdisciplinary subject-matter expertise in climate and health to accelerating career pathways and contribute to the growth of the social sector.

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  • United States of America

    data.org’s US Financial Inclusion Accelerator focuses on advancing data for social impact curricula, with an emphasis on financial inclusion to address systemic issues of inequity. data.org partnered with UChicago to identify seven additional partners to drive this work forward.

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Report

Workforce Wanted: Data Talent for Social Impact

Workforce Wanted: Data Talent for Social Impact is a first-of-its-kind report on global data talent in the social sector. Confronting systemic challenges and highlighting both immediate and big-picture opportunities, this report delivers the current landscape and reveals four pathways forward for building purpose-driven data professionals.

Download the report

Data-Revolution-for-all

Global DSI Network

The Global DSI Network is a community of practice where members can share resources, offer training, and aggregate market insights. This draft charter is open for review and comment.

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