New project to boost youth health data literacy skills

Rachel Magee
Rachel M. Magee, Assistant Professor
Catherine Blake
Catherine Blake, Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
Jana Diesner
Jana Diesner, Affiliate Associate Professor

A project to increase the health data literacy of youth has received funding through the University’s Extension Collaboration Grant Program. Assistant Professor Rachel M. Magee will lead the project, "Health Data Literacy Ambassadors," with Associate Professors Catherine Blake and Jana Diesner serving as co-investigators. Funded through the Office of the Provost's Investment for Growth Program and University of Illinois Extension, the grant supports research and partnerships that address critical issues in five key areas: food, economy, environment, community, and health.

In the two-year project, iSchool researchers and Extension staff will build on existing 4-H Ambassadors and Advocate models to create a Health Data Literacy Ambassadors program.

"Our interdisciplinary collaboration connects researchers with expertise in health informatics, data analytics, youth services, and youth community engagement with Extension experts deeply experienced with positive youth development, health, nutrition, and wellness," said Magee.

Fifteen teens from across the state of Illinois will participate as program ambassadors. They will conduct needs assessments of health topics in their communities, develop and conduct data analytics projects to address issues that arise from their assessments, and present their findings to University and local audiences. University of Illinois students and faculty will serve as mentors and support the teens in their projects.

"This collaboration has the potential to build a sustainable model for other data literacy ambassador programs for Illinois 4-H, furthering efforts to address critical issue areas across Illinois through the lens of data analytics, continuing to empower youth as change agents, highlighting career pathways, and building connections and new partnerships between local communities and the University," said Magee.

Informed by her background as a public librarian, Magee is a youth advocate who teaches about and researches youth technology and information practices. She holds a PhD in information studies from Drexel University and a master's degree in information resources and library science from the University of Arizona. 

Updated on
Backto the news archive

Related News

Debnath datafies "The Bulletin"

MSIM student Tan Debnath, whose interests span data mining, statistical modeling, text mining, and digital humanities, joined the Center for Children's books as a research assistant. He was tasked with building curation processes that would datafy seventy-five years' worth of archival issues of The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, one of the nation's leading children's book review journals.

Tan Debnath stands casually with his hands in his pockets and smiles broadly at the camera. It's a sunny day

He receives Amazon Research Award to improve monitoring of Earth’s ecosystem

A new project led by Professor Jingrui He aims to help scientists monitor disruptions to the Earth’s ecosystem, such as climate change. She recently received support for her work through an Amazon Research Award, which includes $60,000 in cash and an additional $40,000 in Amazon Web Services (AWS) credits.

Jingrui He

iSchool undergraduates selected as 2025 Community-Academic Scholars

The Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Institute (IHSI) has selected BSIS student Dhanvi Puttur and BSIS+DS student Lara Terpetschnig as 2025 Community-Academic Scholars. Representing nineteen majors and nine minors in eight colleges and schools at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and two additional universities, the eighteen scholars in this cohort encompass diverse fields of study, from community health to graphic design to statistics. 

BSIS+DS student Lara Terpetschnig and BSIS student Dhanvi Puttur

Scholarship provides validation, motivation for Martinez

BSIS+DS student Fabian Martinez chose his major because he wanted to learn how to help people understand and interpret data and information. While his immediate plans include finding a job in data analytics, business analytics, consulting, or product management, his ultimate goal is "to create meaningful relationships and help make a meaningful impact in the world" in whatever way he can.

Fabian Martinez graduation

Spectrum Scholar Spotlight: Guadalupe Castillo

Twelve iSchool master's students were named 2024–2025 Spectrum Scholars by the American Library Association (ALA) Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services. This "Spectrum Scholar Spotlight" series highlights the School's scholars. MSLIS student Guadalupe Castillo earned her BA in international studies and Spanish and Latin American literature from the University of California, San Diego.

Guadalupe Castillo