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Welcome to NYC School of Data — a community conference that demystifies the practices and policies around open data, technology, and service design. Hosted by BetaNYC at CUNY School of Law, this year’s conference concludes NYC’s Open Data Week 2026 and is the TENTH edition of both SoData and Open Data Week!

Register for tickets: < https://ti.to/betanyc/nycsodata26 >

2026 is bigger than ever with 40+ sessions organized by NYC’s civic technology, data, and design community!

  • Day 1: the classic NYC School of Data conference, with programming across 12 rooms during 4 session blocks.
  • Day 2: NEW in 2026 – UnSchool of Data! The unconference agenda is created together on the day, with attendee pitches at the top of the day. Select sessions have been pre-seeded by BetaNYC to kick things off.

Our venue is accessible and content is all-ages friendly! If you have accessibility questions or needs, please email us at < [email protected] >.

Saturday March 28, 2026 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT
How can data both illuminate and obscure reality? In this interactive session, attorney and community advocate Shivani Parikh offers a critical look at NYC’s child welfare datasets, particularly the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) demographic data and explores how racial aggregation obscures the lived experiences of South Asian American families. Participants will learn how Asian American children appear at key stages of the child welfare system and why the absence of disaggregated South Asian data has real consequences for families navigating investigations, foster care, and termination of parental rights proceedings.

This event blends data literacy with community context. Shivani will share insights from her culturally responsive family defense guide, highlighting how open data can support ethical policymaking, culturally responsive court reforms, and Know Your Rights education for immigrant parents. Participants can expect a data-informed presentation followed by a facilitated discussion in which attendees will reflect on how to responsibly interpret child welfare data and advocate for greater transparency.

Ideal for civic technologists, policymakers, legal advocates, researchers, and community organizers, this session invites participants to rethink the role of open data in shaping public narratives and policy outcomes. No technical background is required, just curiosity about how data equity can strengthen accountability and protect families!
Speakers
avatar for Shivani Parikh

Shivani Parikh

South Asian Legal Defense Fund
I am a racial justice & civil rights advocate for my people. I am committed to trauma-informed movement lawyering that expands immigrants’ rights, curtails the War on Terror’s surveillance project, and provides legal strategic support for working-class Desi families who are building... Read More →
Saturday March 28, 2026 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT
3-201

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