Alabama is on a mission to bring data science and artificial intelligence education to students in all corners of the state. And to do that, they’re working directly with a local EdTech startup team.
Birmingham-based startup QuantHub, alongside the Alabama State Department of Education and the public-private partnership Innovate Alabama, launched the Data Scholars Program this summer to introduce more students to hands-on data science work inside some of the state’s strongest employers.
22 companies, including those in the manufacturing, tech, and nonprofit sectors, hired high school interns from across the state to work on real-world data problems. QuantHub’s CEO Joshua Jones told Hypepotamus they built the experience to go beyond a typical internship program.
“They’re not just pouring coffee. They’re building AI chatbots, predictive models, and insightful dashboards that are being used by real corporations,” Jones said.
The program is focused on creating career pathways for students across all areas of the state, including rural and historically underserved communities. According to QuantHub, 46% of this year’s Data Scholars hailed from rural areas, reflecting the program’s statewide reach.
One of those students, Lillian Huckaba, told Hypepotamus that she had pretty limited exposure to data science careers as a high school student in the northwest corner of Alabama. But her teacher told her about the program and she ultimately spent the summer learning python, cleaning up data, and building usable programs for EBSCO Industries, one of Alabama’s largest privately-held companies.
Building A Stronger, Data-Focused Workforce
The Data Scholars Program builds up Alabama’s next-generation workforce with skills for an increasingly data-driven economy.
“There really aren’t any roles that don’t require some level of data and technical literacy today,” said EBSCO’s Executive VP Kristin Delwo. With Alabama’s economy heavily driven by industries like manufacturing and agriculture, the program addresses a critical need for future-ready, data-focused skills across fields beyond tech.
The Data Scholars Program is a natural expansion of QuantHub’s microlearning work, which is focused on digital literacy and data fluency training. The program not only equips students with in-demand skills, but it also builds industry connections that could encourage Alabama’s STEM talent to stay local.
What started as a pilot program to embed data science into school curriculum grew into a full-blown, state-wide internship program, said Dr. Eric Mackey, the Alabama State Superintendent of Education.
“We’re trying to make sure that every high school student, no matter what path they follow, has a strong academic basis, strong durable skills, and strong technical skills,” Mackey added.
Innovate Alabama’s Program Director, Shannon Allen, says the program helps cultivate homegrown talent and can open up new career options for the next generation.
“[Students] are getting the exposure to the employers so that they are really able to see how [they] could take this skill set and grow it into a real, tangible career here in the State of Alabama,” Allen told Hypepotamus. “And I think that really boosts retention and the likelihood that they would want to stay here.”
A Look To The Future
At a Scholars Showcase event in Birmingham at the end of the program, students presented their projects, allowing attendees to see the program’s impact in real time.
Kelsey Bickett, QuantHub’s Program Manager for Data Scholars, noting “it was just so cool to see these students come to life and excited about data.”
Looking ahead, Bickett says QuantHub plans to expand the program to include data roles in sports, healthcare, agriculture, and social impact, with the ultimate goal of scaling beyond Alabama.
Applications for both students and companies looking to join next year’s program can look out for application information here.
For Huckaba, the program opened new pathways in STEM. She’s now studying chemical engineering with a biomedical engineering specialization at Auburn University.
On top of learning key data science skills that will be useful in engineering, she also realized that she can continue to build her career in the state.
“I’m going to stay in Alabama,” she told Hypepotamus.
