The Learning Variability Network Exchange (LEVANTE) brings together researchers from around the world aiming to capture the richness and diversity of child development and learning.
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Home » LEVANTE Data Release and Hackathon — Join us this summer!
Dr. Theresa Cheng
March 9, 2026
Robust discoveries in developmental science can be accelerated when open, high-quality datasets are easily accessible and used alongside best practices for reproducible research. To support this work, we are excited to announce the first publicly available LEVANTE dataset and an upcoming hackathon in summer 2026. Together, these contributions mark important steps forward for the LEVANTE community. Read on to learn what’s available, and how you can get involved!
Data sharing is a core requirement of Jacobs Foundation-funded LEVANTE projects, ensuring that data become broadly accessible to the scientific community. Our first public data release includes data from pilot sites in three different countries, along with new tools and documentation to make it easier to access, browse, and interpret the data.
Making the data available is only a first step. We also want to support researchers across the globe to feel empowered to use the LEVANTE dataset in creative, rigorous, and responsible ways. To accomplish this, we’re hosting LEVANTE Hackathon 2026 this summer (July 6-13), and welcome you to participate. All sessions are available virtually at no cost to participants.
Why the hackathon format? Many academic trainings fall into two categories: lecture-based where experts teach new skills to novices, or project-based workshops that assume participants already have the technical expertise to jump into collaborative work. Hackathon formats often have periods of both structured instruction and project-based learning to better draw on the strengths of both approaches (Huppenkothen et al., 2018). Hackathon participants may more deeply build their skills by immediately applying them in real research contexts alongside peers and mentors.
The first week of the hackathon consists of virtual talks and tutorials that are open to all. These include sessions that
These sessions are designed to help you get started using LEVANTE data, and to provide tools and ideas for initial investigations. We are making these open to all so that this information can be known and shared widely.
The second week of the hackathon is by application only. Selected participants will pitch and develop projects with support from the Data Coordinating Center’s research team and key collaborators. We aim to bring together researchers from different backgrounds to increase the likelihood of interdisciplinary project teams.
Participation is open to researchers at diverse stages (undergraduates and above), with priority given to trainees and early career researchers. We welcome participants from diverse fields, including cognitive development, education, data science, and cross-cultural research. Applicants should clearly describe interests in LEVANTE with as much specificity as possible, and explain how hackathon attendance is aligned with training and research goals.
Applications are open until March 31st, and you can apply here.
We invite you to explore the data, run your own analyses, and/or join us for a summer hackathon designed to spark access, deeper learning, and collaboration. By making high-quality data more accessible and pairing this data release with opportunities for initiating projects with our dataset, we hope to facilitate an active and collaborative research community that is well-supported to advance the field of developmental science.
Key links
References
Huppenkothen, D., Arendt, A., Hogg, D. W., Ram, K., VanderPlas, J. T., & Rokem, A. (2018). Hack weeks as a model for data science education and collaboration. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 115(36), 8872–8877. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1717196115