As human beings, empathy, imagination, and compassion are among our most powerful tools for effecting change. And, when combined with the immense scope and potential of contemporary data science—the possibilities for positive change are limitless. At Oracle Education Foundation, we believe that true innovation occurs at this intersection.
Our Discover Data classes achieve just that. Held annually across Latin America, these classes are designed to reveal the power of socially conscious data analysis. Teaming up with Oracle grantee Junior Achievement, our FY23 classes brought together over 150 public school students in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico. Throughout the series, students worked alongside Oracle Volunteers to synthesize complex datasets using Oracle Analytics Cloud, and illuminate the who, what, where, and why of issues ranging from hunger to health, and from climate to communities.
Discover Data uses the United Nation’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), known as the blueprint for peace and prosperity, as a point of embarkation. We provide students with data sets that unpack the SDGs and illuminate what progress toward achieving these goals, such as Zero Hunger and Good Health and Well-Being, could actually look like.
By analyzing sociodemographic data, such as race, ethnicity, education level, and public health statistics, alongside economic and environmental data, such as income, geographic location, and access to clean water, students uncover stories hidden within the metrics. This means recognizing patterns, flagging mutually informed factors, and spotting risks. More importantly, it means identifying opportunities for intervention, then designing data-driven solutions and calls to action.
One team of students explored datasets related to SDG #3, Good Health and Well-Being. Beginning with statistics on environmental stressors and airborne disease, they examined correlations between air quality and tuberculosis worldwide. They asked questions like, “Why is this group facing higher rates of illness?” and, “How might that depend on their environment?” The answers began to reveal themselves through data visualizations in the Oracle Analytics Cloud. Based on these insights, the team designed and prototyped an urban air purification system, along with data-backed proposals for public policies to effectively reduce pollution.
Acting as data scientists, designers, and global citizens, students are encouraged to be human-centered in their quantitative analysis. This means not only thinking critically, but also empathetically—and designing solutions with social impact in mind. By going beyond the numbers, Discover Data helps students envision a future in which economies, ecologies, societies, and technologies thrive together—and start building that future, today.
Since 2017, more than 950 learners from Junior Achievement have participated in educational projects with Oracle Volunteers. Over the years, many students touched by Oracle Education Foundation have gone on to do good things with what they’ve learned. Some have even become Oracle employees and Oracle Volunteers themselves.
My journey started when Oracle Volunteers and Junior Achievement came to my high school in 2017,” says Maria Laura Lacerda. “They posed a challenge: Let’s work together to help solve problems in our community using technology. In that series of classes, we designed a technological solution that helped low-income youth access free books based on their interests.
In 2020, Maria Laura joined Oracle as an employee. She’s part of the Oracle Customer Success Management team. She’s also an Oracle Volunteer, and her contributions have helped other students bring their ideas to life.
By emphasizing our shared humanity and partnering with emerging technologies, Oracle Education Foundation and classes like Discover Data will continue to inspire students, helping them become adept analysts, empathetic problem solvers, and confident creators.
Looking to the future, Maria Laura sees herself—and her generation—at the forefront of change. “Through our experiences with Oracle as teenagers, we learned so much and became leaders, not only in technology—but in our lives,” says Maria Laura. “Today, we know that we can’t wait on someone else to solve these problems: it’s up to us.”
