Data designed
for change.
See Change in the Heart of Chicago
We connect communities to the collective wisdom of our interdisciplinary faculty, but that’s just the beginning. Our data science, design, and AI teams can model and visualize the history of a challenge—as well as multiple predicted scenarios for the future. This enables us to have a far-reaching impact that benefits local, national, and global communities.
Through storytelling and data visualization, The SPARK Center turns research into accessible materials that invite non-experts into informed conversations that shape the future.
Data Vision
Projects
Interdisciplinary projects that convene industry, community, government and academia on community impact through research, predictive analytics and visualization that guides discussion, decisions, and policy.
Our major
initiatives include:
Data Fluency Certifications
Education for nonprofit and community leaders to equip them with the tools and resources to support and empower initiatives. Partners that earn certificates have access to additional project support through DePaul.
Data Support
Institutional for community projects through expert guidance, data resources, meeting spaces, and technology access.
Partner Feature:
The Plant
The SPARK Center's is excited to announce our newest collaboration with The Plant, a living laboratory in Chicago's Back of the Yards neighborhood, that demonstrates techniques for reimagining waste as a resource, achieving economies of scale and incubating small businesses. SPARK will be helping the plant collect data through an array of sensors that track heat and energy usage. The data will be visualized through a real-time 3D model to demonstrate The Plant's replicable model, encouraging efficiencies that close loops of waste and energy. The 3D model will be used to educate policy makers, engineers, and students. Check back for more updates soon!
DePaul
Faculty
Explore new opportunities for your expertise. Through dynamic data visualizations, research, and collaboration, we can design innovative solutions for community-identified challenges. We provide advanced visualization infrastructure, meeting space, and networks to translate your research into community impact.
Opportunities to Collaborate
Funders &
Partners
Join our interdisciplinary community and drive lasting impact across Chicago. By combining your support with our expertise, tools, and connections, we can tackle critical socioeconomic challenges affecting Chicago communities. The SPARK Center is a new opportunity for you to catalyze innovative solutions in collaboration with community groups and data experts.
Community Organizations
Through The SPARK Center, you can partner directly with DePaul faculty who are focused on income inequality, sustainability, and artificial intelligence. Bring us a challenge to embrace or a complex question to answer. Together we can transform data into real world change.
Our Space
The SPARK Center is both a community and a physical space that’s available for our campus and broader Chicago communities.
Reach out to host an event, class, presentation—or push the boundaries of our big screens. We’re at DePaul University’s Loop Campus, and we’d love to meet you.
News & Updates
Follow our Journey
Sign up to get updates as we explore opportunities for DePaul research to bring meaningful, data-rich answers to challenges identified by our community partners.