In the summer of 2020, the CREATE Lab organized a cohort of seven nonprofit and education fellows in Pittsburgh and beyond to examine how big data systems can be used to highlight systemic barriers to equity.

Planning for an in-person, immersive fellowship began pre-COVID, at the end of 2019. The scope and methods of communication, like everything else, were drastically altered because of the pandemic. In spite of COVID, and with the dedication and flexibility of the cohort, the nomination process and initial meetings continued.

The resulting seven member cohort met weekly from November 2020 to March 2021 to share their experiences and learn to craft narratives in the EarthTime tool. While not everyone in the cohort was able to create a compelling narrative given the challenges of meeting and working remotely, cohort members found immense value in the weekly group and one on one meetings with the CREATE Lab team. The resulting discussions, inquiry, and identification of shared values proved to be as valuable as the stories themselves.