‘All in WA’ raising $10M to improve digital access for students learning remotely, backed by $12.5M in federal funding, Univ. of Washington leads new data science institute, and more from this week’s Seattle in the Spotlight.

‘All in WA’ Raising $10 Million to Improve Digital Access for Students Learning Remotely

KING 5 | Amity Addrisi | September 2

https://www.king5.com/article/news/education/all-in-wa-takes-on-digital-divide-preventing-kids-from-going-to-school-washington-state/281-b2fe9f9c-c504-4bef-88ea-fc207e46b258

“As thousands of kids head back to school in Washington state, access to technology for remote learning is a remote possibility for many kids. But to create digital equity in the state, “All in WA” is stepping up to help. The statewide relief effort has already raised $65 million to keep families from falling through the cracks during the coronavirus crisis. Now, the people behind the effort want to raise $10 million more for students.”

Backed by $12.5M in Federal Funding, Univ. of Washington Leads New Data Science Institute

GeekWire | Lisa Stiffler | September 1

https://www.geekwire.com/2020/backed-12-5m-federal-funding-univ-washington-leads-new-data-science-institute/

“With $12.5 million in federal funding, the University of Washington will lead a cohort of institutions tackling foundational challenges in the field of data science. The UW is teaming up with interdisciplinary researchers from University Wisconsin-Madison, University California-Santa Cruz and University of Chicago to form the Institute for Foundations of Data Science (IFDS). The effort will be led by Maryam Fazel, a UW electrical and computer engineering professor. The institute marks the culmination of three years of work supported by the National Science Foundation as part of its Transdisciplinary Research in Principles of Data Science, or TRIPODS, program.”

Seattle-Area Home Prices Rise Faster than Nearly Every Other U.S. City, Driven in Part by Younger Home Buyers

Seattle Times | Katherine Khashimova Long | August 25

https://www.seattletimes.com/business/real-estate/seattle-area-home-prices-continue-steady-rise-driven-in-part-by-younger-homebuyers/

“Like much during the pandemic, the latest news on home prices inspires a definite sense of deja vu. For the fifth month in a row, home prices around Seattle rose faster in June — 6.5%, year-over-year — than any of the nation’s other top 18 metro areas, save Phoenix, according to new data from S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Home Price Index. That’s more or less the same rate of growth we’ve seen since spring.”