20 Years of StatCom at Purdue: Statistics in the Community and What Drives Engagement

• Activity Number: 127 - Understanding Statistics for Good: Integrating Service Learning into Statistics Education
• Type: Topic Contributed
• Date/Time: Monday, August 3, 2020 : 1:00 PM to 2:50 PM
• Sponsor: ASA-MAA Joint Committee on Undergraduate Statistics
• Author(s): Andrew Thomas*
• Keywords: StatCom; volunteer; service-learning; student; consulting; engagement

Abstract

StatCom (Statistics in the Community) was founded at Purdue in 2001 in order to serve the community surrounding Purdue by offering statistical consulting free-of-charge to non-profits and local governments. Run by graduate students, StatCom offers services not only to the community but also gives the student volunteers invaluable experience. The opportunities provided to the students over the course of their work with StatCom constitute a crucial part of an education in statistics: applying one’s knowledge to real-world data and conveying data analyses to a general audience. We investigate how former directors of StatCom have managed the dual challenges of providing relevant statistical benefits to the community and fulfilling service-learning experiences to fellow students. We try to answer the question: for both clients and volunteers in a student-run organization like StatCom, what drives engagement?