The Wedge + SIUE Community Collaboration Lab: Data and Storytelling

The Wedge + SIUE Community Collaboration Lab: Data Storytelling (4th Floor, Classroom 402 (Enter the Wedge on Broadway - Check-In with Reception on 2nd Floor)

The July Community Collaboration Lab, co-hosted with the SIUE IRIS Center, will explore how data shapes what we see, who gets represented, and how communities like the Metro East are too often left out of digital spaces. Dr. Meg Smith, Interim Director of the IRIS Center, will lead participants through real-world examples of data bias and introduce digital storytelling as a powerful tool for reclaiming narrative control. As part of the session, attendees will contribute their own stories and insights to a collaborative community map that highlights the Metro East as a vibrant cultural space. The map will remain open for future Lab participants to build on, creating an evolving record of local knowledge, identity, and place.

"Access to the internet is no longer a luxury. It's a foundation for opportunity. When individuals and neighborhoods are connected, they're better positioned to access jobs, education, healthcare, and the networks that support thriving communities," said Connie Frey-Spurlock, Director, SIU Office for Community Engagement.