Cary’s Data Jam jams on, virtually

MILLBROOK — The 2020 Hudson Data Jam will be held this year, as it has since the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies began hosting it in 2014, with some alterations. This year, due to COVID-19 crisis, the competition will be a virtual event. Data Jam is open to all middle school and high school students, bringing together art and science, to entice more interest among students in all things scientific.

The effort is part of a national network of Data Jams. Originally announced earlier this year, changes have been made as distance learning is now the new norm while schools are closed. 

The concept of Data Jam is to interpret a “data story” from a data set in a creative way; each submission is judged by a panel that includes a scientist, an artist and an educator.

There is a new category available to students in kindergarten through grade 12, the Family Data Jam, which allows families to work on a project as a team. The deadline to register is Wednesday, May 13. On Friday, June 19, the Virtual Data Jam Expo and Awards Ceremony will be held via Zoom from 5 to 7 p.m. Originally ceremonies were to be held at Marist College in Poughkeepsie. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top middle school and high school projects; a special award will be given to the top Family Data Jam project.

For details, and to register, go to www.caryinstitutue.org/eco-inquiry/data jam or to facebook.com/HudsonDataJam. Questions may be e-mailed to futterman@caryinstitute.org or messaged through Data Jam on Facebook.