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SparkMap’s 2022 in Review

SparkMap’s 2022 in Review

2022 was a big year at SparkMap, thanks to you! Internally, we added more members to our team, underwent a full site refresh to unveil in 2023, and developed more multimedia content to enhance your SparkMap experience.   We weren’t the only ones busy on SparkMap this year! In our 2022 Review, we’ll   Thanks for…

Tracking Data Trends Over Time: Enhancing Data Literacy pt. 3
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Tracking Data Trends Over Time: Enhancing Data Literacy pt. 3

Focusing on trends in data over time is interesting and impactful. Understanding which job sectors have grown in the last five years, illuminating areas of increased health disparity, or tracking migration patterns within the country are important for community development, resource allocation, and legislative efforts. While it’s easy to assume data from the same sources…

Where’s the Food? Part 1: Finding and Using Data on Food Retailer Locations
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Where’s the Food? Part 1: Finding and Using Data on Food Retailer Locations

Whether you work in healthcare, community planning, or community improvement programs access to reliable food is a must. In this blog series we highlight different food layers available on SparkMap and how they can be used to benefit your community.

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Public Education Funding and Student Outcomes

The debate around public education funding and student outcomes is longstanding. In this blog, we discuss important background information on where SparkMap’s public education revenue and expenditure data comes from, what it covers, how it is linked to student outcomes over time, and how you can use SparkMap to dive into the link between public education expenditures and outcomes in your community.

Enhancing Data Literacy pt. 2: Interpreting Maps
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Enhancing Data Literacy pt. 2: Interpreting Maps

Creating lasting change in your community is only possible when you have an accurate understanding of its strengths and needs. In other words, you need community-level data in order to determine outreach needs, pinpoint service areas, and identify areas in which your community already excels. We believe the best way to do this is through…

Enhancing Data Literacy with SparkMap
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Enhancing Data Literacy with SparkMap

At SparkMap, we’re passionate about impacting communities based on high-quality data. Since you’re here, you probably feel the same way. However, we know that understanding and applying data can be tricky. So, we’re starting a blog series dedicated to the foundations of data literacy. Through this blog series, we hope to empower you by enhancing…

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Map Room 101

Use the Map Room to tell the story of your community in a compelling and visually interesting way. Learn how to add data to a map and explore some basic ways to understand that data.

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Understanding Access to Mental Health Resources

In order to maintain positive, long-term mental health outcomes in communities around the nation, organizations and governments need access to up-to-date, reliable, and accurate data to effectively allocate resources, programs, and training opportunities for those who need it most. Read this blog to learn how to use SparkMap tools and resources to build a case for funding.

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COVID-19 Spread and Long-Term Consequences

COVID-19 has severely affected the economy, health, and mental well-being of every community around the United States. SparkMap provides real-time data sharing, analysis, and visualization—key strategies for an equitable and speedy recovery. This blog shows how our map and assessment tools are used to understand COVID-19 cases and its consequences.

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To Avoid Gender Bias, We Need Sex-Segregated Data

Are you focused on expanding, understanding, or analyzing women’s opportunities in the economic sector, do you want to support the implementation of gender-focus policies in the US or at the local level? Learn about how you can access sex-aggregated data on this week’s blog in honor of Women’s History Month.

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BRFSS Demystified

If you’ve existed in the health space for any period of time, you’ve probably heard of BRFSS data, but what is it, really?

Learn more about the importance of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.