Teen Data Scientists Shine at National Data Quest
October 11, 2021 | Nationwide, USA
Audience inspired by student projects such as the data behind art and dance, space exploration, and the importance of providing period products at school
“Data can be found in anything - from video games to dances to ocean life”. This reflection came from one of 120 students who took part in the 2021 Young Data Scientists Quest (YDSQ), a new nationwide program introducing students grades 6 and above to data science in preparation for future careers and personal life.
Supported by teachers and industry mentors, participants worked together in groups to learn the basics of data science (starting with no prior experience). Students embarked on a Quest to use data to address culturally relevant issues in their own communities (ranging from Minecraft and cat breed recommenders to plastic pollution and company branding).
Nearly 75% of teams completed the challenging program with a finished, real-world data science project (see all projects). What our young data scientists built was as diverse as the backgrounds they came from. YDSQ drew participants from across eight states and several Title I schools. 47% identified as female or non-binary, and over 70% were in middle school.
Featuring Highly Diverse Projects
To judge submissions, we invited a diverse group of panelists from institutions including Google, Tableau, Columbia, University of Michigan, Georgetown, and Vulcan. Said former Tableau marketing and D&I leader Sarah Pierre-Louis, “These students put their hearts and souls into their projects. It was inspirational to see middle to high school age students use science and data to present on everything from global warming to the most popular gaming applications”.
We’re proud to feature these six inspiring examples that best represent the creativity, impact, storytelling, and technical depth our students achieved. Congratulations Young Data Scientists!
YDSQ 2022 is now open for registration! To apply, click here.
Celebrating 100 Years of Dance
Award: Most Creative Storytelling (Tie)
Team: Isabella B. (Grade 6) and Daniela S. (6)
School: Marston Middle School, CA
+ Read Student Reflection
“We investigated the topic of ‘dances through the years’. We looked at many sites on dance, and we found sources with different answers, but if a majority of the sources say one dance is the most popular, then we would choose that one to talk about. The potential impact of our project is to inform people about the evolution of dance.”
+ Read Panelist Feedback
Our panelists described this project as “a fantastic (!) example of using data context to tell a compelling story over time” and panelists “loved the way you told the story of your project through engaging visuals”.
How the Representation of Asian Artists Has Changed Over Time
Award: Most Creative Storytelling (Tie)
Team: Beverly (Grade 6)
School: Pine Lake Middle School, WA
+ Read Student Reflection
“I decided on my question because it relates to my interests. I ended up narrowing it down to a technical question of ‘How has the price of (Asian art) auctions changed compared to the ones of European artists?’ I wrote a Python program and found that the general trend is upwards, but mostly is affected by the economy. My project’s goal is to raise awareness about how the representation of Asian artists has changed.”
+ Read Panelist Feedback
Our panelists described this project as a “unique problem to tackle and great use of data / tooling to investigate” and panelists were impressed that the team “connected and attributed the dip in your visualization to the recession”.
Company Logos: Exploration and Analysis
Award: Best Data Science Application (Insights)
Team: Riva D. (Grade 6), Kush S. (6), Andrew W. (6), Jovin D. (6)
School(s): Beckendorff Junior High School, TX, Fruit Cove Middle School, FL, Pine Lake Middle School, WA, and Other Schools
+ Read Student Reflection
“Have you ever wondered what restaurant to go to for your next lunch? Well, there must be some restaurants that look a lot cooler than others and have their menus more appealing. That probably made you choose it. But then as you bite into that delicious food, you didn't think about why they chose their logo. That’s the question we explored.”
+ Read Panelist Feedback
Our panelists described this project as a “rock solid use of data to derive insights”. Our panel was unanimously impressed with “the way you used your analysis to create your own logos, demonstrating the practical usefulness of your analysis”.
Global Warming: What are We Doing and How Can We Prevent It
Award: Most Compelling Impact (Tie)
Team: Shikha J. (Grade 7), and Daisy D. (7)
School: Pine Lake Middle School, WA and Other Schools
+ Read Student Reflection
“This data science project started with us asking what the people were REALLY doing to help fight global warming because everyone has to do their part in order to make a difference! Our site teaches you how to make a more powerful impact. To begin our research we made a Google form to see what people were doing when it came to global warming, and on our website we show the research we found in the 130 responses we received.”
+ Read Panelist Feedback
Our panelists described this project as exemplary of how to “apply data science tools to accomplish something, and not just better understand it”. Audience members felt “challenged about what [they] could be doing to help stop global warming”.
The Importance of Providing Period Products at School
Award: Most Compelling Impact (Tie)
Team: Archita C. (Grade 8) and Anoushka M. (8)
School: Pine Lake Middle School, WA
+ Read Student Reflection
“We researched the importance of providing period products and the negative impacts that can happen when period products are inaccessible. We talked to our principal and created a video that uses data to educate family and friends on our topic. The video will act as a fundraiser, and the money will be given to ‘The Pad Project’ to be invested into buying a $10,000 pad machine.”
+ Read Panelist Feedback
Our panelists described this as “a high-impact project with goals directly relevant to the students own community, but also a broader community” as well as “a real opportunity to use data science to make a difference in people's lives”.
Kuiper Belt Objects Exploration
Award: Best Data Science Application (AI)
Team: Gerardo R. (Grade 12), Andrew R. (10), Angela S. (10), and Jason G. (12)
School: Bioscience High School, AZ
+ Read Student Reflection
“For our project we analyzed a bunch of Kuiper Belt objects. Our data was obtained from the IAU Minor Planet Center’s data on Neptunian objects. We used machine learning methods such as PCA to analyze our data and found correlations among scientific variables. Our team is excited to find more connections in our data that could lead to new discoveries.”
+ Read Panelist Feedback
Our panelists described this as an “excellent use of unsupervised machine learning techniques” and “the type of work that people with Masters Degrees are performing”.
YDSQ 2022 is now open for registration! To apply, click here.
