DataTrail is a no-cost, paid 14-week educational initiative for young-adult, high school and GED-graduates. DataTrail aims to equip members of underserved communities with the necessary skills and support required to work in the booming field of data science.

DataTrail is a fresh take on workforce development that focuses on training both Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC) interested in the data science industry and their potential employers.

Offered by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, in partnership with local non-profits and Leanpub, DataTrail combines a mutually-intensive learning experience (MILE) with a whole-person ecosystem of support to allow aspiring data scientists and their employers to succeed.

DataTrail uses mutually-intensive learning

DataTrail joins aspiring data science scholars and expert-level data scientist mentors in a mutually-intensive learning experience (MILE).

In the DataTrail MILE:

  • Scholars engage in cutting-edge technical and soft skills training needed to enter the data science field.

  • Mentors engage in anti-racism and mentorship training needed to be impactful mentors and informed colleagues on diverse data science teams.

The social connections created along the way will fuel job opportunities for scholars and foster a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive climate at the mentors' institutions.

DataTrail's ecosystem approach supports the whole person

DataTrail is a partnership between colleges and universities, for-profit companies, and non-profit community organizations. A DataTrail scholar receives support from all three partners:

  • Colleges and universities provide tutors and educational support as scholars work through courses in data science skills.

  • Non-profit community organizations provide social support and resources for scholars' personal development.

  • For-profit companies provide mentors for professional development and job opportunities for scholars who have completed the program.