The Northeast Wisconsin Data Exchange has expanded its service area from three to 11 counties, giving organizations and residents access to more than 130 local indicators.
Formerly known as the Fox Valley Data Exchange, which served Calumet, Outagamie, and Winnebago counties, NEWDEX now also serves Brown, Green Lake, Kewaunee, Menominee, Oconto, Shawano, Waupaca and Waushara counties.
As part of the expansion, NEWDEX will host a free regional data event, NEWDEX DataCon, Oct. 20 at Fox Valley Technical College’s Appleton campus. The event will showcase the online platform and share stories of how community partners are using data to inform their work.
“What started three years ago as the Fox Valley Data Exchange, with a goal of centralizing community data and reducing duplication, has grown into the Northeast Wisconsin Data Exchange. Today, NEWDEX is an open-access, go-to resource for communities throughout northeast Wisconsin, with relevant, high-quality data at the core of our mission, but ultimately, we want to connect the data to action,” said Jason Schulist, executive director of Northeast Wisconsin Data Exchange.
The expansion creates a comprehensive regional picture while preserving the local-level detail communities need to identify priorities, understand disparities and use data to inform strategic planning, public policy and program implementation.
Local data is essential because community challenges and opportunities don’t stop at county lines. Understanding those challenges and opportunities requires detailed information and community context, which NEWDEX provides in a free online platform.
This community-focused data is available at newdex.org with interactive maps, charts and graphs, offering county-level information along with more granular insights by ZIP code, census tract and municipal boundary. Data topics include population, housing, education, transportation, workforce, health, economic well-being, the environment and other measures of community well-being. Users can examine trends over time, compare counties or demographic groups, and download data sets for custom aggregation and analysis.
Philanthropic support from Basic Needs Giving Partnership made the expansion possible. Natalie Bomstad, executive director of BNGP, said the investment reflects the organization’s belief that shared information can promote greater community impact.
“Partnering with NEWDEX gives us an opportunity to make up-to-date metrics available to grantees across our 11-county region,” said Bomstad. “Having this type of information readily at hand can strengthen our impact by helping us understand local conditions and trends and track progress.”
NEWDEX is leveraging Metopio’s technology to support its expanded service area while keeping relevant community data centralized and curated. The Metopio platform streamlines the process of updating metrics from major national sources while also allowing communities to incorporate local data. The technology is designed to be easily scalable, allowing NEWDEX to not only increase geographic reach but also continue adding to the library of community metrics.
“NEWDEX is exactly the kind of project we’re excited to make possible,” said Angie Grover, chief operating officer and co-founder of Metopio. “Data is most powerful when it’s in the hands of the people who know their communities best. Our platform helps streamline the community health improvement workflow, ensuring data is timely, consistent, and reliable. This allows partners to focus on building a deeper understanding of their communities so they can make better decisions and work together toward better outcomes.”
To explore the data from NEWDEX, visit www.newdex.org. Registration information for NEWDEX DataCon will also be available on the website.
