Solving For Need: How Classroom Data Illuminates Hidden Place-Based Needs

When trying to understand a community’s needs, public school classrooms aren’t often a place that traditional studies and researchers turn to — but they should be. Since 2000, DonorsChoose has fulfilled nearly 3.5 million classroom resource requests across the country. From requests for technology, to food and winter coats, to social-emotional support, the hyperlocal data we gather from each teacher-created request can indicate broader community-wide needs. This session moves beyond data-sharing and into creative solution-building, prompting audience members to consider how non-traditional data sets can guide place-based investment strategies — especially for our nation’s underserved communities.