Week 1: Introduction to Databases and Organizing (April 10)¶

Goals

• Understand what a database does and it’s primary uses
• Understand how databases support organizing work

Outline

• What is a database?
• Example of databases in organizing
  • ALLERT video or video from Voter Techkit
• Exercises in using MS Access to get information from database (QUERY)
  • Using the SQL Bingo data (members, organizing teams) have the class create queries to answer questions. ie list of members in the ‘Mobile Home Parks’ group, etc.
  • Generate a report (printable list of members)
• Use, edit and create a simple form to add and edit member data.

Set up and Materials

• MS Access DB setup with SQL Bingo data
  • Relationships setup, one or two example queries, a form and a report(?)
  • Data modified to include email and phone number if not already there

Assignments

• Uploading Technology chapter in Radical Democracy
• Database assignment: ie create a form, report, query of some sort

Week 2: Databases with Access cont. + Relationships (April 17)¶

Goals

• Understand Relational Data
• Be able to create queries on relational data
• Be able to create a report that uses relational data (ie member profile that shows list of events attended)
• Be able to create form for manual input
• Be able to import data from file (xls, csv)

Outline

• Start with another video or example of databases in organizing
• Review last weeks progress and topics
• Introduce relationships in more depth (frame questions and exercises)
• Extend current database to include event tracking
• Add/Import event attendance data from mock sign-up sheet
  • Have a handout prepared (paper and/or electronic) that is a sign-up sheet for a couple of events
• Add queries/forms/reports to match new relationships (some part is HW?)

Set up and Materials

• DB file from previous week to review
• Need spreadsheet of event sign-ups (xls to csv format) to import

Assignments

• Reading from Radical Democracy and/or Voter Techkit (something about collecting data)

Week 3: Data Merge (April 24)¶

Goals

• Understand “anatomy” of a data merge (data, template, merged document)
• Be able to easily create mailing labels, letters, thank you postcards, walk/call sheets

Outline

• Explain data merging “anatomy”
  • Start with questions or an example of where it’s really useful. Perhaps give a fake assignment to create a bunch of letters or labels.
• Go through creating a merge for labels and letters
  • Either merge directly from MS Access or export a report to Excel and merge that.
• Explain walk and call sheets (video example, guest speaker, demonstration). Create template as class and then merge with data.

Set up and Materials

• Need materials from Data Merge workshop in TechCamp curriculum (modified to fit our existing data)
• Test our merging from MS Access and see if it’s worthwhile (or easy enough to do in class)

Assignments

• Students create a merge to send a thank you note to the attendees of the last fundraising dinner.
• Reading?

Week 4: Data Input and Merging (May 1)¶

Goals

• Be able to print report with barcode data for input
• Be able to import and merge a list from “partner organization”
  • de-duplication, cleaning data, finding matches, Excel to split/concatenate, find and replace (ie “Av to AVE”)
  • script to clean up data (“list enhancement”) – what is the format that other list-enhancement services use (Gill Foundation)?

Outline

• Work through process of importing a “partner orgs” membership list and cross-referencing
• Set up a report (ie call sheet) with barcode data, print and do input

Set up and Materials

• Excel or other data file from “partner organization” (union, church, etc) – need details on how this would be implemented in Access (query to report? or new table structure?)
• Barcode scanner (can we use on lab computers?) hooked up to laptop
• Barcode font installed (on laptop or in labs)
• Sample DB from previous weeks but with something to track (call sheet response? walk sheet response?)

Assignments

• DB assignment?
• Reading?

Week 5: Other Database Topic: Analysis with PivotCharts? Something else?(May 8)¶

Goals
Outline
Set up and Materials

Assignments

• Reading to prep for voter data class
  • voter privacy reading
  • county election voter data info
  • something from voter techkit

Week 6: Voter Data (May 15)¶

Goals
Outline
Set up and Materials
Assignments

Week 7: Voter Data continued (May 22)¶

Goals
Outline
Set up and Materials
Assignments

Week 8: Other Topics: Email Advocacy Tools (May 29)¶

Goals
Outline
Set up and Materials
Assignments

Week 9: Other Topics: SMS Campaign Tools (Jun 5)¶

Goals
Outline
Set up and Materials
Assignments

Stuff to Review for Assignments, Resources and Reading¶

• PTP Voter Techkit
  • PTP VOTER Project RFP
• Tools for Radical Democracy
  • Chapter 7 (?) on Uploading Technology
  • Appendix on the “why” of Electoral Organizing
  • Review worksheets for good examples of walk/call sheets for data collection
• Networks of Community-led Organizations Involved in Voter Engagement
  • California State Alliance
  • Push Back Network
    • PBN 2007 Report on Activities
• California Voter Foundation Report on Voter Privacy
  • Introduction has good short overview of Voter Data
• Santa Cruz County Elections Department
  • Election Data Usage and Purchase
  • Santa Cruz County Voter Registration Guide
  • IRS Rules Allow Nonpartisan Voter Education and Participation Activity by Charities
• Desktop SMS Campaign Tools

Voter Registration Assignment¶

From Arif: “so I’d say that it’s a great exercise for the experience, but that there isn’t really a connect to the data side of things, unless you use the inability to key it all in as a teaching moment for thinking about the strategy – what is accomplished by registration? Do you need to key it all in to accomplish that? what could you capture in the db that would be useful, etc.”