Student Internships & Projects

Applying a Data Science Acumen

Through internships and practicum courses guided by the Metropolitan Chicago Data Science Corps (MCDC), students developed projects applying their data science knowledge to solve real-world problems and support local community organizations. Including projects in data science curricula is critical to enhancing students’ ability to not only apply data science, but also develop and maintain healthy partnerships with community organizations.

Learn more about how to integrate student projects into a course or internship and view completed student projects below.

Learn more about partnering with community organizations

Project Development Process

Student projects are developed and implemented through practicum courses and Data Application for Undergraduates (DAU) internships. Working in teams, students complete projects with guidance from course instructors or faculty members and in partnership with community organizations. The instructor/faculty member and sometimes an additional liaison or co-mentor supervise the students and guide the team toward achieving goals set by the community partner. Regular interaction between the student/faculty teams and the community partner is essential for success.
Practicum Course Projects

Practicum course projects happen at a single university and are part of a pre-existing course. These projects can be starting points for DAU internship projects, or stand-alone projects themselves. Students are supported by a project mentor and liaison.

DAU Internship Projects

Students can also complete an 8–10-week project during the summer as a DAU internship, rather than an existing practicum course. DAU internship project teams include a combination of students from participating universities, with internships hosted by either the student’s academic institution or the community partner, depending on the community partner’s preference. Students must complete requisite coursework before they can apply for a DAU internship and receive a stipend once the internship has compelted.

Data Service Requests and Internship Applications

Both practicum course and DAU internship projects began with a community organization submitting a Request for Data Services form and students submitting a DAU internship application. The Request for Data Services form asks community organizations to identify their specific data needs and desired outcomes to more effectively match them with students who are interested in similar data science approaches and content.
View a sample Request for Data Services form
View a sample DAU internship application

Completed Student Projects

To learn more about each of the student projects, click on the blocks below.

Chicago Community Garden Pollination Correlations

Year: 2025

Students’ Affiliation: DePaul University

Community Partner: Lincoln Park Zoo

Assessing Chicago Workers Cottages: Sale Price and Low Income Neighborhoods

Year: 2024

Students’ Affiliation: DePaul University

Community Partner: Chicago Workers Cottage Initiative

The Effects of Fossil Fuels: Developing a Mappable Image Repository

Year: 2024

Students’ Affiliation: Chicago State University, DePaul University, Northeastern Illinois University, and Northwestern University

Community Partner: FracTracker Alliance

Exploratory Data Analysis: American Sycamore Trees at the Morton Arboretum

Year: 2022

Students’ Affiliation: DePaul University

Community Partner: The Morton Arboretum

Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Illumination and Analysis

Year: 2023

Students’ Affiliation: MCDC

Community Partner: The CivicLab

Understanding User Disparities in Micromobility Adoption and Patterns: Chicago Divvy System

Year: 2021

Students’ Affiliation:

Community Partner:

Coalition to Decarcerate Illinois: Vacant Lot Problem in Chicago

Year: 2025

Students’ Affiliation: DePaul University

Community Partner: Coalition to Decarcerate Illinois

Visualizing Data with Storyboards: Supporting Underrepresented Students in STEM

Year: 2024

Students’ Affiliation: Multiple universities

Community Partner: Project SYNcERE

Food Insecurity Distribution in Jo Daviess County

Year: 2023

Students’ Affiliation: Northeastern Illinois Univeristy

Community Partner: Jo Daviess County

Rent Control Data Analysis: Aiding the Development of Effective Legislation

Year: 2021

Students’ Affiliation: Northwestern University

Community Partner: Lift the Ban Coalition

Data Cleaning: Morton Arboretum Tree Species

Year: 2021

Students’ Affiliation: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Community Partner: The Morton Arboretum

Illinois Prescribed Fire Successes

Year: 2022

Students’ Affiliation: Northwestern University

Community Partner: Illinois Prescribed Fire Council

Food Resources in Back of the Yards Chicago

Year: 2025

Students’ Affiliation: DePaul University

Community Partner: Star Farm Chicago

Destiny Outreach Dashboard: Analyzing Data and Assessing Impact

Year: 2024

Students’ Affiliation: DePaul University and Northwestern University

Community Partner: Destiny Outreach

Mapping Locations of Black McDonalds Owners of America

Year: 2022

Students’ Affiliation: DePaul University

Community Partner: Black McDonalds Owners of America

My Chi My Future: Chicago's Youth Opportunity Landscape

Year: 2021

Students’ Affiliation: Northwestern University

Community Partner: City of Chicago

Cook County Industrial Composting Analysis

Year: 2022

Students’ Affiliation: DePaul University, Northeastern Illinois University, and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Community Partner: Cook County Environmental Commission