2026 Bridge Conference

Data sovereignty — the right of communities to control data about themselves — is not just a concept. It’s a practice.

Drawing on the work of the Coalition of Communities of Color (CCC) in Portland, OR, this workshop introduces participants to a framework for assessing and strengthening community data stewardship practices in their own organizations. Who currently controls your data? Who benefits from it? And how can youth, parents, and community members become genuine co-owners of the stories data tells? Participants will work through a guided framework to map their current data sovereignty model and develop a concrete action plan for shifting power back toward the community. This session is for leaders and staff ready to move beyond data compliance and toward data self-determination.