Enhance Your Data Skills with Free Virtual Data Literacy Workshops

The Polis Center at Indiana University Indianapolis is offering a free, virtual Data Literacy workshop series designed to help individuals and organizations find, visualize, and communicate data about communities more effectively. Whether you work with data every day or are just starting to explore how it can support decision-making, these workshops provide essential skills for analyzing and sharing insights.

Each one-to-two-hour instructor-led session is offered four times per year, making it easy to participate at a time that works best for you. The next series begins on April 7, and no prerequisites are required—just an interest in learning how to use data more effectively!

What You’ll Learn

The workshop series includes a range of topics, each focused on different aspects of data literacy and practical applications:

• Frame the Problem – Learn techniques for designing measurable questions that lead to actionable decisions.
• SAVI Data, Tools, and Other Resources – Explore SAVI, one of the nation’s largest community information systems, providing extensive demographic data on central and southwest Indiana communities.
• Avoid Data Pitfalls – Discover how to interpret data accurately and avoid common errors that can impact analysis and decision-making.
• Analyze and Visualize with Charts – Learn how to effectively communicate insights using tables, graphs, and interactive visualizations.
• Using SAVI Data in Other GIS Tools – Explore how to leverage ArcGIS Online, IndianaMap, and other GIS tools to create powerful StoryMaps, Dashboards, and more.
• Tell Stories with Data – Gain the skills to transform data into compelling narratives that drive understanding and action.
• Make Decisions with Data – Learn how to combine quantitative and qualitative data, including historic maps, to support community-informed decision-making.

Why Attend?

Understanding and applying data effectively is crucial for public policy, research, business, and community development. These workshops offer hands-on learning with real-world applications, ensuring participants walk away with practical skills they can immediately apply in their work.

How to Register

To sign up for one or more workshops, visit: SAVI Training Registration.

For questions, reach out to Kevin Mickey at kmickey@iu.edu.

Don’t miss this opportunity to sharpen your data skills and learn from experts at The Polis Center—register today!