Above photo: President Vinson discusses education at Ed Equity event in New York.

In today’s tech-driven world, data science is a crucial skill for success, and it's vital that underserved communities have the opportunity to thrive in these fields, says Howard University President Ben Vinson III.

Vincent spoke in November during an event hosted by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the National Education Equity Lab (Ed Equity Lab), where he joined philanthropic and education leaders.

“This is an increasingly technical world, where data is the new currency in a fast-paced, AI-driven environment,” Vinson said. “Data science is a key skill for future success, and we want underserved and minority populations to succeed in these highly technical fields.”

President Vinson spotlighted the Ed Equity Lab’s new collaboration with Google, calling it a “national model.” As part of the initiative, high school students can earn a Google Data Analytics Certificate and six transferable college credits from Howard University after completing a year-long course. Vinson reported that more than 200 students have enrolled in the program across 12 high schools in five cities, including Inglewood, Phoenix, New Orleans, Washington, D.C., and New York.

Data analysts gather information from a wide variety of sources and use mathematics, computer simulations, statistics, and other tools to make predictions, draw conclusions, and make decisions. 

Citing industry predictions, Vinson said demand for data scientists is expected to grow by more than 300 percent in the next decade, yet only 3-4 percent of data scientists are Black. He also highlighted that, on average, college graduates earn $1.2 million more over their lifetime than those with only a high school diploma. The stats were drawn from CompTIA and the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities, respectively.

The Ed Equity Lab partners with top colleges and universities, like Howard, to offer college-credit-bearing courses in under-resourced Title 1 high school classrooms. Students take college courses co-taught by a college professor and a high school teacher and earn a college transcript upon successful completion. Since partnering with Ed Equity Lab in 2020, Howard has offered seven courses to more than 4,500 students nationwide, including courses in environmental science, leadership studies, and algebra.

At the Carnegie Corporation of New York and Ed Equity Lab event, university leaders from across the country were recognized for their role in expanding access to college opportunities for underserved high school students. The event also aimed to encourage philanthropic support for advancing college readiness in high-need communities.

Vinson stressed the vital role higher education institutions, particularly Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), play in fulfilling the promise of the "American dream" and strengthening U.S. democracy, key themes of the gathering.

“Our partnership with the Ed Equity Lab speaks to the heart of our mission,” Vinson said. “Historically Black colleges and universities like ours continue to be sources of social and upward mobility. This partnership is about leading and serving.”

The Google Career Certificates program, which began this fall at Howard, provides job-ready skills for entry-level positions in fields like data analytics. The program requires no prior experience, and the Data Analytics Certificate is the most popular on Coursera globally. Students also gain access to Google’s new AI Essentials course, designed and taught by Google’s AI experts.

Students build critical data analysis skills and fluency with platforms like Tableau and SQL. Through hands-on projects and case studies, they gain exposure to various fields, including business, engineering, social science, and life sciences. The certificate provides a foundation that makes students competitive as soon as they enter the job market.