Where Analytics Meets Impact
Student-led analytics projects for nonprofits, government agencies, and community organizations across New Orleans and Louisiana.
Analytics in Service of Community
The Impacts Lab is the Callais Institute's hands-on analytics consulting arm. Teams of 3–5 upper-level BUAN students work alongside faculty supervisors to tackle real data problems for nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and social enterprises in the New Orleans region.
Projects span 8–12 weeks per semester, covering everything from data cleaning and statistical analysis to predictive modeling and dashboard development. Every engagement ends with a client-ready deliverable and a public presentation.
For students, the Impacts Lab is often the most formative experience of their degree — a chance to work with messy, real-world data and see analytics make a tangible difference.
Partner with the Lab →Hypothesis testing, regression, survey analysis, and descriptive statistics
Tableau, Power BI, and Python dashboards that communicate clearly
Forecasting, classification, and clustering with scikit-learn and R
Mapping, spatial clustering, and GIS-based community insights
From Intake to Deliverable
Every Impacts Lab project follows a structured engagement model — rigorous enough for real results, flexible enough for diverse challenges.
Intake & Scoping
Client submits a project brief. Faculty and lab leads assess scope, feasibility, and data availability.
Team Assignment
3–5 student analysts matched to the project based on skills and interests. Faculty supervisor assigned.
Discovery Sprint
Kickoff meeting with client. Data ingested, cleaned, and explored. Problem defined precisely.
Analysis & Modeling
Core analytical work: statistical analysis, visualization, modeling, and insight generation.
Deliverable & Presentation
Final report, dashboard, or dataset delivered. Public presentation at semester's end.
Eligible Partner Organizations
The Impacts Lab gives priority to organizations serving communities in the Greater New Orleans area.
Government Agencies
City, parish, and state agencies with public data and policy needs.
Nonprofits
501(c)(3) organizations serving health, education, housing, or environment.
Schools & Universities
K–12 schools, charter networks, and higher education institutions.
Social Enterprises
Mission-driven businesses with a clear community or environmental focus.
Submit a Project Request
Tell us about your organization's data challenge. Lab coordinators review all requests and will reach out within 5 business days to discuss feasibility and next steps.
Projects are accepted on a rolling basis for Fall and Spring semesters. Spring intake closes January 15; Fall intake closes August 15.
What makes a good project?
- ✓A clear question or decision to be informed by data
- ✓Access to a dataset (or willingness to collect one)
- ✓A named point of contact who can meet bi-weekly
- ✓Realistic scope for an 8–12 week student project