Social Impact Fellowship: AI, Data Science, Cybersecurity & Software Innovation (Remote)

Chicago Education Advocacy Cooperative (ChiEAC)

ChiEAC is a community-rooted nonprofit devoted to building educational equity and justice for racialized and minoritized students and families. Through data, organizing, and advocacy, we uplift community voices that are too often silenced in Chicago’s educational systems.

ChiEAC Data Science Alliance

ChiEAC’s Data Science Alliance connects emerging professionals in Data Analytics, Software Engineering, Cybersecurity, and AI/ML with hands-on, impact-driven projects. This is your opportunity to develop your technical skill set, build your professional portfolio, and create real change-all while being mentored by equity-driven educators, researchers, and technologists.

8 Key Areas of Opportunity

1️⃣ Survey Design & Research Development

• Collaborate on identifying topics that matter most to racialized and minoritized communities.
• Design culturally responsive, community-driven survey instruments using best practices in inclusive methodology.

2️⃣ Data Collection & Field Strategy

• Support digital and grassroots distribution through online platforms, in-person outreach, and partner networks.
• Monitor and optimize response rates, ensuring ethical data handling and privacy protections.

3️⃣ Data Analysis & Visualization

• Use tools like Python, R, SPSS, Excel, or Tableau to clean, analyze, and extract actionable insights.
• Create compelling data visualizations and reports for stakeholders and community leaders.

4️⃣ Community Engagement & Storytelling

• Present findings to educators, advocates, and families in community settings.
• Help translate data into meaningful action through storytelling, infographics, and policy recommendations.

5️⃣ App Development & UX/UI Engineering

• Contribute to or lead development of mobile/web apps for data collection, mental health tracking, or community resource sharing.
• Collaborate on user-friendly dashboards and digital tools to make complex data accessible to families and frontline workers.

6️⃣ Cybersecurity & Data Privacy

• Advise and implement strategies to protect sensitive community data and promote privacy-aware design.
• Help build trust with our communities by upholding the highest standards in ethical tech practices.

7️⃣ AI & Machine Learning

• Explore machine learning models that analyze open-ended community feedback or identify trends in educational access.
• Use natural language processing (NLP) or sentiment analysis tools to understand student and parent perspectives.

8️⃣ Predictive Analytics & Early Warning Tools

• Develop predictive models to proactively identify high-risk scenarios and connect students/families to resources.
• Support intervention strategies based on data-driven forecasts and simulations.

Why This Role Matters

• Co-lead a mission-aligned, portfolio-ready project with deep community impact.
• Access mentorship and professional development tailored to students and early-career professionals of color.
• Join a network of Black and Latina/o scholars, activists, and data scientists working for justice.
• Gain references, recommendations, and career-launching experiences in the public interest tech space.

Ideal Candidate

We’re looking for motivated, values-driven volunteers with any of the following:

• Background or interest in data science, education equity, or community advocacy
• Coursework or experience in statistics, programming, machine learning, or cybersecurity
• Proficiency (or eagerness to learn) tools like Python, R, SPSS, Tableau, SQL, React, or Figma
• Ability to communicate across differences and work with integrity in community spaces
• Commitment to using data to tell stories that move people to action

Time Commitment

• 20-25 hours/week
• Flexible scheduling; hybrid/remote work available
• OPT option

How to Apply

Interested in volunteering?

Click here to schedule a time to talk with our Executive Director, Benjamin (Dr. D) Drury here

https://calendly.com/chieac/socialchange

We welcome emerging leaders who want to build, create, analyze, and inspire alongside us.

Build Tools for Justice

Whether you're coding an app, visualizing trends, analyzing text, or building predictive models-you’re helping create pathways for students and families to thrive.

Watch our video to learn more: Emely Oviedo's "Motivación"