Build CAR and Mapping skills at boot camps in Missouri

Tired of feeling frustrated by spreadsheets or intimidated by databases? Or maybe you’ve mastered basic computer-assisted reporting skills and are ready to dive into mapping. Intensive IRE boot camps can help you hone new skills to produce more compelling stories and make yourself invaluable in your newsroom, all in a few days of practical training.

Seats are still available for upcoming IRE boot camps to help you master spreadsheets, databases or mapping software. Mapping boot campers receive a valuable software discount as well.

Check out IRE’s On The Road blog to see how other journalists have put their hands-on training to use — benefiting their newsrooms as well as their careers. Details on the upcoming camps are below:

CAR Boot Camp

January 10-15, 2010 (Columbia, Mo.)

At this workshop, you'll learn how to use spreadsheets and databases to analyze data, plus how to download data, how to convert it from text, where to look for it on the Web, and more. To help accommodate budgets and time constraints, we're also allowing attendees to sign up for a portion of the boot camp. Are you new to data analysis and only have a couple of days to devote to beginning the learning process? If so, you can attend the first part of the boot camp, which includes an introduction to computer-assisted reporting and focuses largely on learning to analyze data with spreadsheets.

Are you already familiar with Excel and have experience using spreadsheets for news analysis? You have the option of skipping the portion of the boot camp and joining the sessions when we begin talking about database analysis.

We recommend attending the entire session—you'll leave with a solid grounding in CAR and with the skills you'll need to improve your daily and long-term reporting with the two major tools used by CAR reporters. But for those who can't take the full week, we hope this option will allow you to begin developing, or to expand, your CAR skills. For more details, visit our Web site.

Mapping Boot Camp

January 8-10, 2010 (Columbia, Mo.)

Take your CAR skills to the next level by learning how to uncover the “where” in your data. Instructors Jennifer LaFleur of ProPublica and David Herzog of NICAR will show how to use ArcView geographic information system (GIS) software in this intensive three-day session. You’ll learn how to create simple data maps and perform more sophisticated geographic analysis. You’ll also learn how to geocode data and deal with projections.

IRE and NICAR are offering substantial discounts on ArcView mapping software. ESRI is offering ArcView single-use licenses at no charge to IRE members who agree to attend a GIS training event conducted by IRE and NICAR or ESRI. Purchasers must sign a three-year maintenance agreement with ESRI at a cost of $400 a year — with the first year’s fee waived. ArcView, the GIS program most widely used by journalists, lists for $1,500. During the maintenance agreement period, purchasers will receive software upgrades and technical support from ESRI.

IRE members must attend a qualifying training session within one year of entering the agreement with ESRI, which is based in Redlands, Calif. Qualifying sessions are IRE and NICAR's Mapping Boot Camp; an online ESRI online training course; and ESRI classroom training. For more details, visit our mapping training Web site.