civic tech to close the data divide
a national nonprofit equipping youth, nonprofits, and advocates—especially those most affected by climate and environmental harm—with the skills, tools, and platforms to tackle environmental challenges through data, design, and technology. Our work blends STEM, civics, and student voice to document history, investigate injustice, and drive “good trubel” (pronounced "good trouble") & advocacy in response to the problems they care about the most.
We believe in a world where innovation no longer comes at the expense of people in the margins; rather, youth proximate to inequity are seen as beacons of insight. We exist to make sure the next generation is not just climate-aware, but climate-capable.
We use an abolitionist framework focused on liberation. Rather than funneling advocates into STEM careers, trubel democratizes access to technical education—empowering our trubelmakers to solve community challenges and design their own futures.
trubel&co’s programming emphasizes building tactical STEM and data skills that can be used to research complex societal problems, design human-centered solutions, and disseminate information that compels others to take action.
trubel&co’s civic data training prepares students, nonprofits, and advocates to understand data in the context of society, enhance communication skills, and increase long-term participation in civic life.
We need those closest to inequity to be drivers of responsible innovation. trubel&co partners with colleges and universities, nonprofits, and corporations to tailor programming for aspiring “trubelmakers” (pronounced “troublemakers”). Our programs and workshops center problem-solving, data storytelling, design thinking strategies, and AI adoption to address challenges rooted in issues important to them.
Hover on destinations throughout the map to discover our offerings.
Mapping Justice Program
Summer intensive for high school youth address social & environmental inequity using data science and storytelling
Data Workshops
Short-term learning spaces to build technical capacity and explore the intersections of race, power, & technology
Civicscape Platform
Geospatial platform featuring localized datasets tied to real-world challenges using interactive, custom maps
AI-Powered Curriculum
Interdisciplinary modules connecting introducing AI ethics to climate, civics, math, & storytelling curricula
Mapping Justice Program
Summer intensive for high school youth address social & environmental inequity using data science and storytelling
Data Workshops
Short-term learning spaces to build technical capacity and explore the intersections of race, power, & technology
Civicscape Platform
Geospatial platform featuring localized datasets tied to real-world challenges using interactive, custom maps
AI-Powered Curriculum
Interdisciplinary modules connecting introducing AI ethics to climate, civics, math, & storytelling curricula
“By democratizing access to innovation, we empower more people to imagine—and build—a world that works for everyone.”
- Nick Okafor, Founder of trubel&co
trubel&co began with a bold question: what would it look like if communities furthest from opportunity were equipped with the training, tools, and trust to change the systems around them?
Too often, STEM and civic learning are disconnected. With a background in tech, education, and social advocacy, we set out to build something different: a place where data science, storytelling, and justice intersect.
From classrooms to community centers around the nation, we’re reimagining what technical education can look like, rooted in the belief that innovation doesn’t belong to the few—it belongs to all of us. Whether it’s teaching students to map climate vulnerability, co-developing tools for civic storytelling, or partnering with frontline communities, our work is grounded in collective power and radical possibility.
