Key Highlights:
- The Birmingham Education Foundation in collaboration with UAB and BBA has recently launched the MCDC program supported by a one-year grant
- The data collective program intends to connect qualified students with companies having data-specific needs
- The program enables students to analyze large amounts of data to help find patterns and trends
Magic City Data Collective Program
The UAB, the Birmingham Education Foundation, and the Birmingham Business Alliance have recently collaborated and launched a public-private partnership. The program has been launched with the aim of building a diverse pipeline for connecting qualified students with companies having data-specific needs. The partnership program has been named the ‘Magic City Data Collective’ (MCDC) program. The pilot project launched in collaboration is supported by a one-year grant from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities.
Data Analysis and Evaluation
The DCP provides UAB students with paid internship opportunities and grows their data analysis skillsets by working with local private-sector employers in education, philanthropy, and technology. It also enables students with the ability to develop their skills by helping them analyze large amounts of data, find patterns and trends, and ask questions for better understanding intending to shape the next generation of talent. Undergraduate and graduate UAB MCDC fellows with academic backgrounds in areas like computer science and physics were divided into groups and have worked on four projects till now. These groups have collected and analyzed data, developed and tested hypotheses, and learned about what it means to use data in a team setting.
Benefits of the program to UAB students
The data collective program encourages investment in community development projects that are critical in helping widen the data talent channel for underrepresented Birmingham students and connect them to future employment opportunities. It provides students with real-world work experience and the opportunity to practice their existing data skills and build new ones with a paid internship. Working in the data collective program provides students with the opportunity to be hired for a full-time job after graduation.