Demystifying Community Data: Where Does It Come From, and How Can We Use It?
- When
- Thursday, November 12, 20269:00 AM – 10:30 AM CSTAdd to calendarGoogle Calendar
- Hosted by
- Outreach, Engagement and Regional Development
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About
Civic Leadership Academy
Demystifying Community Data: Where Does It Come From, and How Can We Use It?
Nov. 12, 2026
Online webinar
9 to 10:30 a.m.
Presented by: Andy Blanke, Research Specialist, NIU Center for Governmental Studies
Cost: $39 for the public, Free for NIU students, faculty and staff
State and federal agencies publish a lot of data and information on community and economic characteristics to help policymakers, but it can be hard to keep up. As your guide, Andy will walk you through some of the best public data resources for community and economic development. We’ll discuss how the data is collected, how to analyze and present it, and how to convert data into insights, including hands-on examples with several economic and demographic datasets. Although this session focuses on data, discussions and examples will be oriented toward decision-making. You’ll learn how to use data and apply concepts to your community, rather than practicing formulas and computation.
Objectives:
Identify public resources able to provide you with the information needed to explore community data questions.
Gain working knowledge of online mapping and visualization tools that use Census Bureau data.
See examples of how to present and share information with stakeholders.
Learn to guide informed discussions with analysts and staff to get the community data you need.
General public register for $39 at:
NIU students, faculty and staff register for free at: