The Data in Action Track of MIT FutureMakers is designed to empower students to use data to advocate for change in your community and beyond. This free, six-week, fully online program, running from July 1st through August 9th, 2025, brings together high school students as a diverse group of highly motivated learners who want to develop new Data Science skills in data cleaning, analysis and visualization, and exploring real-world applications. Students will also develop essential career competencies, such as critical thinking, collaboration, project management, and effective communication, preparing them for future opportunities in data science fields.
As a FutureMakers participant in the Data in Action Track, will learn Python, and how to analyze and visualize data in Python, while also learning tools and strategies for making changes based on what you learn from data. Your group will work directly with a community organization to clean and analyze data in a way that directly supports the organization’s mission for social impact.
You’ll see how data science can be an empowering process, and how it can be used for social change.
Self-paced learning: Weeks 1 to 3
During the first three weeks, students will be guided by mentors through multiple virtual sessions per week. These sessions will kickstart the program by introducing students to python and ensuring students have a solid understanding before diving into hands-on work. Students will form teams early on in the program and will be paired with a mentor who will provide guidance and troubleshooting support as they independently explore the program topics. Some topics in this program are mandatory and others are optional, allowing students to manage their learning effectively and practice prioritization and time management, much like real-world problem-solving.
Community Partner Project: Weeks 4 to 6
By the end of the program, students will meet with their community partner to learn more about the partner’s work, and what challenges they face that can be addressed by engaging in data science. Student groups will then spend time engaging in research, data cleaning, analysis and visualization towards the goal of sharing a presentation with their community partner at the end of the program. This hands-on experience will prepare students to think critically about applied data science for real world social impact.
Requirements
This program is free for high school participants based in the United States. Students will need to allocate 14 hours per week for this program.