Jason Schulist hopes that free access to data will drive collaboration and innovation for nonprofit agencies, government and businesses in Calumet, Outagamie and Winnebago counties.
Schulist is executive director of Fox Valley Data Exchange, which launched in October.
The Fox Valley Data Exchange launch was the culmination of more than four years of work. It builds on previous efforts of the Fox Cities Leading Indicators for Excellence (LIFE) Study, co-led by the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region and United Way Fox Cities, to evaluate and direct efforts to improve public health, education, housing, work opportunities and more.
Rachel Podoski, president of the Fox Valley Data Exchange board, said, “The Fox Valley Data Exchange is a major leap forward, building on over 20 years of experience with the Fox Cities LIFE Study. If the LIFE Study was MapQuest, with static dashboards that can get you there but not adjust in real time, the Data Exchange is like the GPS on your smartphone, acting as a knowledgeable co-pilot that provides updates as conditions change and adjusts as you go, making your journey more dynamic and efficient.”
Schulist said 44 agencies were part of focus groups that helped determine what data is needed and how it might be used. The committee then selected a platform that would be easy to use and update and that can incorporate local data. The first set of local school data was added in January.
“The Fox Valley Data Exchange is a one-stop shop for our entire tri-county area. Most of the data drills all the way down to the census tract so we can pinpoint community investment opportunities,” Schulist said. “Any community member can easily download charts and graphs with one click. It is easy to see how the well-being of our communities is doing. And the resource is free for all to use.”
The platform is expected to be a valuable resource for a wide range of users, including public officials, nonprofit organizations, foundations, educational institutions, health care providers, public health agencies, local businesses, religious organizations and others. As of mid-January there had been 435 active users of the exchange with more than 13,600 individual sessions.
Schulist also said he expects to see new collaborations and called the resource “scaffolding for experimentation.”
The platform aggregates data from more than 30 public and private sector sources, providing insights into more than 100 community metrics across the seven Vital Conditions for Wellbeing.
The seven Vital Conditions for Wellbeing are:
- Belonging and civic muscle
- Basic needs for health and safety
- Thriving natural world
- Lifelong learning
- Humane housing
- Meaningful work and wealth
- Reliable transportation
Data is automatically updated as soon as it’s made available by the original sources. The searchable database allows users to set specific parameters to filter geographically and/or to create layers based on topics, vital conditions and more. They can then create maps, charts and tables to visualize the data.
An early adopter of the resources has been Fox Valley Habitat for Humanity. The organization used the Fox Valley Data Exchange to select a neighborhood for its Rock the Block program. Rock the Block revitalizes selected neighborhoods through low-cost exterior home repairs and public amenity projects completed by members of the neighborhood, volunteers and partners such as municipalities.
The early success of the Fox Valley Data Exchange was commended by Bobby Milstein of The Rippel Foundation/ReThink Health, the organization that developed the Seven Vital Conditions for Wellbeing. Milstein was impressed by the broad support for the Data Exchange as it was developed and launched.
“I think you are setting a benchmark for what state-of-the-art, multi-sector action looks like,” Milstein said.
On the web
Visit vitaldata.fvdex.org or contact Schulist at jason@fvdex.org.
