Professionals in social work, public health and social sciences in general aim to advance the wellbeing of all people, particularly those who are vulnerable, oppressed, marginalized or living in poverty. This work often involves supporting individuals as they navigate the established societal institutions, but ultimately it should lead to enhancing these institutions through effective social policy. 

Over the last decades, unprecedented advances in technology, artificial intelligence and big data have come to permeate all aspects of life, including those directly concerned with social welfare. Data held by social service agencies contain key information about the characteristics of those they serve, their needs and the programs and interventions in which they are involved. 

Predictive models and algorithms are increasingly used to guide the provision of services in the areas of child welfare, homelessness and in the criminal judicial system. Moreover, there is a growing recognition of disparate treatment and impact in our society based on race, gender, sexual orientation, immigration and other statuses. These injustices leave a footprint in data of many types. As more data becomes available, there is a need to update the skills of data users—from social workers to social analysts—to ethically and thoughtfully make use of this data for social good. 

In response to this need, the Mandel School and the Case School of Engineering, two of CWRU's top schools, have developed a Certificate in Data Sciences for Social Impact. Launched in 2022, we continue to work to make it broadly available with the goal of diversifying the field of Data Science for Social Impact within a framework that advances antiracism, diversity, equity and inclusion (ADEI). This presentation will focus on how ADEI materializes in the curriculum, providing examples relevant to social work practice at the micro and macro levels.

Please use the CWRU livestream link to join our Impact Talk or join in person at Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, Noble Commons, 11235 Bellflower Road, Cleveland, OH, 44106-7164.