The Data Literacy Program of the Alexandria Archive Institute / Open Context invites applications from anyone interested in archaeology for a one-month program to develop their data literacy skills during October 2025.
This pilot version of the Archaeological Data Literacy Practicum will focus on developing cohort members’ data literacy skills and receiving feedback on the materials, activities, lectures, and overall efficacy of the Practicum in developing participants’ data literacy. If you would like to cultivate your archaeological data literacy, help others cultivate theirs, or provide feedback on this workshop, please consider applying.
How to Apply
To be considered for selection, please submit a complete application. The most important part of your application are the questions you’ll address in the Purpose section. Here, we’ll ask you to describe how you would benefit from the Practicum and your interest in participating in the pilot for this workshop. While we don’t expect you to have fully mastered archaeological data literacy, it’s important for us to know what you hope to gain from the workshop and how you’ll help improve the course for future attendees. Applications must be completed and submitted no later than 1 September 2025. Please note that you may be required to sign in to a Google account to complete the application form, available here.
Eligibility and Criteria
Participation in the pilot is free for all attendees and the application is open to anyone interested in archaeology but is best suited to those who are undergraduate age or older. We are particularly excited to encourage applications from undergraduate students, faculty, and members of the public who represent or serve underrepresented communities, especially those who lack access to similar kinds of professional development resources.
People based in any country are welcome to apply. However, the pilot will have a fixed meeting schedule of 9:00 am United States Mountain time for up to three hours on 3, 17, and 31 October 2025, which may pose problems for those in certain time zones. For the pilot, we will prioritize people who can meet at those times. Future Practicums will have different schedules that may better fit your schedule or time zone.
Expectations
Participants will be expected to commit to attending and actively engaging in the three synchronous online meetings and submitting their deliverables online. They will also be expected to work with the Practicum’s Facilitator and other participants to develop, critique, and share their data-driven narrative product. For this pilot, participants will also be asked to complete weekly assessment surveys throughout the workshop to evaluate the materials for each week. Finally, everyone affiliated with the Practicum will abide by the Practicum’s Code of Conduct. Agreeing to the Code of Conduct is necessary to participate.
Notification and Acceptance
Applicants will be notified about decisions by 15 September 2025. Agreement to the Code of Conduct and attendance of the first online meeting on 3 October will be used to confirm participation. Accepted applicants who do not attend the 3 October meeting without prior notice or who do not agree to the Code of Conduct by that time will be dropped from the pilot but may be eligible to participate in a later version of the Practicum.
Learn more
If you’d like to learn more about the Archaeological Data Literacy Practicum to see if it’s right for you, your students, or community, you can read an introduction to the Practicum on the Data Literacy Program page or get more details about the goals and format for it on the dedicated Practicum page.
You can also read about it in the November 2024 of The SAA Archaeological Record. Or reach out to the Practicum Facilitator, Dr. Paulina Przystupa, at ciszka@opencontext.org with any further questions. We look forward to receiving your application and working together to cultivate data literacy in cultural heritage!
