One of the ways ESIIL builds a community of Earth and Environmental Data Science (EDS) educators is through our free Data Short Course offered annually in July. Our beginner-level Data Short Course, taught using the Python programming language, is designed to introduce EDS educators and leaders to fundamental EDS education tools. Participants learn fundamental teaching tools for open EDS education and research including GitHub, Markdown, and Jupyter Notebooks, and ChatGPT.

The 2026 ESIIL Data Short Course reached its largest cohort to date, with 278 participants registering and 26 completing the full course. Offered virtually from July 14–24 through asynchronous instruction and Zoom-based activities, the course provided accessible training in environmental data science to a global audience. Participants joined from around the world, highlighting the growing reach and demand for ESIIL’s environmental data science training programs. 

You can check out the course syllabus, curriculum, and participants’ portfolios on our public GitHub page. Make sure to join us for our next Data Short course in July!