Des Moines, Iowa, October 4, 2023 – Principal® Foundation, a nonprofit organization committed to helping people and communities build financially secure futures, and EVERFI® from Blackbaud®, the leader in powering social impact through education, announce that the youth-focused data science program, DataSetGo, has reached more than 17,500 high school students in over 380 schools across the United States since its inception in 2022. Now the organizations are expanding the interactive digital curriculum by launching DataSetGo Distinguished Scholars.
The new national program will provide 10 students with a $5,000 award each, for a total of $50,000. DataSetGo Distinguished Scholars was designed to further enable students to explore post-secondary education and workforce opportunities. These awards are intended to be flexible so students can use them in a way that best supports their academic or lifestyle needs.
“Understanding data science fundamentals opens doors for our youth in an increasingly data-driven world,” said Jo Christine Miles, director, Principal Foundation and Community Relations, Principal. “DataSetGo is helping them develop confidence, ignite curiosity and creativity, and acquire skills to help them build more secure futures.”
To be eligible for the award, students must participate in the DataSetGo program and submit a 300–500-word essay. The application period is open and closes April 30, 2024. Additional eligibility information is available online.
“Preparing students not only for the careers of the future but also providing them with the financial support to be able to pursue education post high school is a powerful combination,” said Ray Martinez, co-founder, EVERFI. “We’ve worked with teachers and schools nationwide to use the power of technology to teach data science fundamentals, and this national awards program is the next step in this effort and an exciting milestone in EVERFI and Principal Foundation’s strategic collaboration to provide critical education to students."
DataSetGo’s interactive digital curriculum was publicly introduced last September to teach students data science concepts that can be applied in a multitude of career paths and utilized in building personal financial capability. Data science continues to be a rapidly growing field, with career opportunities projected to grow by 35% from 2022 to 2032, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Free to schools in 11 cities, DataSetGo should reach at least 70,000 U.S. students by 2025.
For more than 11 years, Principal Foundation has collaborated with EVERFI to enable students to develop a deeper understanding of foundational financial concepts and gain essential knowledge and skills in the growing field of data science. Together, they launched DataSetGo as a pilot in 2021 and are currently running the program in 11 markets, including New York, N.Y.; Charlotte, N.C.; Washington, D.C.; Raleigh, N.C.; Atlanta, Ga.; Wilmington, Del.; Seattle, Wash.; Folsom, Calif.; Minneapolis, Minn.; Dallas, Texas; and Des Moines, Iowa.”
For more information about the DataSetGo program, visit https://principal.everfi.com.