Young Data Scientists Quest
Virtual & Self-Paced
From our environment to the arts, data impacts our everyday lives. Learn data science and make a difference.
>> [September 2025] The Quest is now a fully self-paced program! Browse our previous awards announcements to get inspiration for your classroom.
The Young Data Scientists Quest is a middle + high school team program that empowers students to apply data science to solve real-world problems in their personal lives and communities.
All skillsets are welcome. Compete to serve your community with your unique and diverse skills (from entrepreneurship to programming to storytelling and visual design).
No prior experience is necessary. We’ll help you learn and create at the same time with our Young Data Scientists Bootcamp!
Completely self-paced. All materials are free to use under the Creative Commons CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license. Remix and adapt our resources; just give attribution and don’t commercialize our work.
Today’s students will shape tomorrow’s world with data. Where will your quest lead?
Program Info
Dates: Self-Paced / Anytime
Time Commitment: 2 - 4 hours per week (estimated)
Grades: 6 - 12
Location: Virtual (In Class or After School)
Cost: Free (limited capacity)
How it all works
1. JOIN THE LEAGUE
Form teams of 15 - 30 students + at least 1 teacher, and join our collaborative community of peers and industry mentors. Every student will have a place for their unique background and talents.
2. START YOUR QUEST
Students learn the essentials of data in our 5-week Bootcamp by exploring real-world examples in media, sports, and culture. No previous knowledge is needed to learn!
3. MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Students work together to design and build data projects that make an impact in their own lives and communities. Showcase your work and tell your story at the end of our program.
FAQs
What will students learn in bootcamp?
Students will cover the basics of building data science projects, from asking questions to collecting data and modelling data to generate knowledge (and even build their own simple artificial intelligence).
How will instruction be delivered?
As of 2025, Young Data Scientists Quest is now a fully self-serviced program - meaning you are welcome to use our materials however you like in your classroom!
What is required for teacher advisors?
No prior experience in data science is needed. All materials are free and each activity comes with a detailed lesson guide that includes suggested timing, standards alignment, prep instructions and links to resources.
What technology is required?
Our program relies on Google Sheets, Google Colab, and Google Data Studio. No installation is required; all software we use is free and can be accessed through your browser. You may choose to use alternatives such as Microsoft Excel, Jupyter Notebook, and Tableau.
Can I use my own datasets?
Yes, absolutely! Students may either choose their own datasets or build off of ones that we've gathered. Our main goal is to help students make connections between data science and what they personally relate to and/or what they learn in school.
Do I need to know how to code?
No coding knowledge is required in order to participate - students will learn data science through free no-code tools such as Google Sheets and Data Studio. Coding options are available in Colaboratory for students who know basic Python.
How can I relate this to my classroom?
Our learning materials cover foundational topics ranging from CC6 to CC8 math and statistics (for example, summarizing datasets or plotting bivariate data). We design our materials to be low-floor, high-ceiling and easily extendable.