Public Data in the Public Interest: A Spreadsheet-Based Project for High School Computing
Emily Nutwell, Kelsey Badger · ACM eBooks · 2025
Data for Healthy Communities (DHC) is a 15-hour high school project that uses spreadsheets and public data to provide an accessible introduction to data science in the broader context of decision making for complex societal problems.Students work with real-world government data in the context of public health and will learn how to use data as evidence to support an argument for investment in their local communities.The nocode interface of spreadsheet software allows students to explore basic computing concepts such as variables and functions while engaging with authentic public health challenges like air quality, health inequity, and environmental burden.The intention is to lower the barrier for students' first introduction to computing and to present options for embedding data science education in a wider variety of curricular areas.The project is scaffolded by skill-building modules that use a mix of lectures, class demonstrations, and labs to guide students through exploring, analyzing, and visualizing data to make an argument.Students then apply these skills in a team-based activity that challenges them to use real neighborhood-level community indicators to create a structured presentation to a city council to advocate for community investment.After the student presentations, it is recommended to hold a class discussion to highlight the complexity of real-world problems where there is no one right answer.Rather, complex problems often require teams to consider several factors to build an argument for a proposed solution.