Volunteer at DataFest!

DataFest 2026 is taking place during the weekend of March 27-29 at the University of Puget Sound.

If you are a current professional or graduate student who works with data or supervises those who work with data in the greater Tacoma (Seattle) area, consider contributing some of your time during DataFest towards mentorship or judging!

DataFest is an opportunity for students to get experience working with real datasets, but it also shines as an opportunity for them to experience mentorship from experts in a data-related field, as well as establish connections in industry and/or with alumni. Volunteer mentors are part of what makes DataFest special!

Volunteer Mentorship and Judges

Consider signing up to be a volunteer mentor and/or judge! Potential Volunteers Form.

Why should I be a mentor/judge?

Motivations for being a mentor or judge vary, but you will have the opportunity to:

Develop your own mentorship and guidance skills
Make connections with current students and possible interns
Give back to a community of learners!

What do volunteer mentors do?

Mentors are key to supporting DataFest! Mentors are professionals who have some experience working with data outside of the classroom. Mentors help students with understanding their data, overcoming technical challenges, and asking guiding questions to help the analyses along. Mentors do not have to—and are not expected to—tell students what analyses to perform or serve as a team lead, but simply be a friendly, welcoming and supportive “backup.”

What skills should a mentor have?

Your experience analyzing data in context—your ability to avoid getting lost in the weeds and ensure your analysis is meaningful—is your biggest contribution as a mentor. Secondly, we will value your technical assistance for teams who are still becoming accustomed to the wide variety of data analysis tools that exist.

What do volunteer judges do?

On Sunday afternoon, Judges will receive a briefing on the secret dataset, and then observe student presentations about their analyses. You will score those presentations, then discuss with other judges about final awards, including best insight, best visualization, and best use of external data.

What is the time commitment?

You can contribute as little as two hours, or as much as a full day! Visit here for up-to-date information about the organization of the event. Mentors are needed for 1-2 hours during the dataset reveal on Friday evening—to aid in initial data understanding—or during as much or as little time as you can contribute on Saturday—when most students will be in the thick of their analyses. By mentoring, you are also entitled to join in at least one meal alongside the students for networking & mingling, but you do not have to. Judges will observe up to 1 hour of student presentations and spend up to half an hour deliberating before the awards ceremony.