About the Program


The Data Literacy Incubator Program is designed to support U.S. community college librarians in exploring and trying out ways to promote data literacy within their institutions.

Participants will identify an opportunity to address a local need, adapt existing resources or develop a data literacy initiative, and try it out in their own settings. Throughout the program, participants will receive guidance, peer support, and opportunities to exchange ideas as they explore, and implement. Participants will have opportunities to share their implementation experiences, lessons learned, and outcomes with the broader professional community, including through professional conferences and publications.

The program offers two participation tracks:

  • Individual Track: For librarians participating independently
  • Institutional Team Track: For teams of 2–3 people from the same institution

Examples of Data Literacy Initiatives

Participants may develop a new initiative or adapt an existing case study, activity, or resource to meet the needs of their community. Examples might include, but are not limited to:

Data in the News

Host a "Data in the News" workshop where students evaluate data claims, graphs, and statistics used in news and social media.

Community Data Challenge

Organize a “Community Data Challenge” where students use open government or community datasets to investigate a local issue.

AI Data Detective

Create an “AI Data Detective” workshop where students investigate the data sources behind AI-generated claims and assess their reliability.

Industry-led Data
Host an "Industry-led Data" workshop demonstrating how data are collected, analyzed, and used in real-world settings.
Data Visualization Contest
Host a "Data Visualization Contest" where students create and share visualizations based on course assignments or topics of personal interest.
AI & Data Ethics
Offer an "AI & Data Ethics" workshop where students explore how AI systems use data and critically examine issues related to accuracy, bias, privacy, and the ethical implications of AI-generated outputs.

Resources to Explore Before Applying

Looking for ideas? Explore resources developed during earlier phases of the project. These resources can help you identify data literacy needs at your institution and generate ideas for an Incubator project.

Participation Expectations and Program Timelines

Selected program participants will be expected to:

  • Develop or adapt a data literacy initiative appropriate for their local context.
  • Implement the initiative during Spring 2027, with flexibility to extend activities into Summer 2027, if needed.
  • Participate in program activities, including an orientation session in December 2026 and periodic Incubator meetings during Spring 2027 (all held via Zoom).
  • Share implementation experiences, lessons learned, and outcomes with the broader professional community.

Benefits of Participation

Selected program participants will receive:

  • Participation stipend: Up to $1,500 for an Individual Track participant and up to $1,000 per person for an Institutional Team Track participant.
  • Project support: Up to $350 per project to support the development and implementation of the proposed data literacy initiative.
  • Conference travel support: Up to $2,000 to support travel to a major professional conference, such as ALA or ACRL. The specific conference and travel dates will be determined later. For the Institutional Team Track, travel support is available for only one team member.
  • Peer learning and support: Opportunities to learn alongside other participants, exchange ideas and resources, receive feedback, and support one another throughout project development and implementation.
  • Publication opportunities: Opportunities to collaborate on publications that share project experiences, outcomes, and lessons learned with the broader professional community.

Interested in Applying?

Learn about eligibility, application requirements, important dates, and how to submit your application.

Questions About the Program?

If you have questions about the Data Literacy Incubator Program, please contact us at dlcc@unt.edu