For Students
Build skills that matter. Build things that matter.
Work on real projects for real nonprofits. Ship dashboards, maps, and web apps, not homework.
Why DSSD
More than a club. A career accelerator.
Ship Real Projects
Build dashboards, maps, web apps, and data pipelines for real nonprofit clients, not classroom simulations.
Lead Teams
Take on project management, client communication, and leadership roles that set you apart from other graduates.
Build Your Portfolio
Graduate with shipped, client-approved work that employers and grad schools notice.
Your Path
Two ways to get involved
Join an existing hub
If your university has an active DSSD hub, reach out to join. Most hubs recruit at the start of each semester.
- Who: Any student, any major, any skill level
- When: Most hubs recruit at semester start
- Time: ~3-5 hours/week on project work
Start a new hub
No hub at your school? Start one. DSSD gives you everything you need to launch.
- Who: Motivated students with leadership drive
- Team: Recruit 3-5 founding members to start
- Time: ~5-8 hours/week for hub leaders
Active Hubs
Find a hub at your university
Student Stories
Hear from DSSD students
"DSSD was the most impactful extracurricular I did in college. I learned more about project management and client communication in one semester than in four years of classes."
Student Leader
Former Hub Director, William & Mary
"I joined DSSD as a sophomore with basic Python skills. By the time I graduated, I had shipped three projects, led a team, and landed a data science job at a top firm."
Team Member
Data Analyst, UW-Madison
Don't see your school?
Start a DSSD chapter at your university and lead technology for social impact on your campus.