The community asked and we listened.

Participants in last year’s Fox Cities LIFE Study Dive-In Day said it would be helpful to see some existing and any new data points presented in ways that more clearly reflect a theme of diversity and inclusion. Exciting news! This Thursday, Aug. 10, check the LIFE Study website to find updates including

• 10 new data charts incorporating race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and age for some data indicator pages.
• Two additional themes covering workforce participation, and diversity and inclusion.

Before getting too excited about the updates, here’s a refresher on the LIFE Study.

The LIFE Study, which stands for Leading Indicators for Excellence, presents a snapshot of socio-economic conditions in the Fox Cities. It’s funded by the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region, United Way Fox Cities and the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce. It reveals information meant to spark regional leaders and community members to action in areas that need improvement.

The most recent Fox Cities LIFE Study underwent some major changes, including the creation of an interactive website. In case you missed its launch in 2016, here are a few quick facts.

• Access the study online only at FoxCitiesLIFEStudy.org.
• Dig into more than 200 data indicators about demographic, economic, social and health aspects of community life.
• Review four priorities for community action that were chosen by a cross-section of 200 community members who attended the LIFE Study Dive-In Day in June 2016: poverty, youth health, student performance and youth safety. The new data charts (coming Aug. 10) are related to three of the community priorities.
• In the past, the Fox Cities LIFE Studies have been published once every five years (in 2001, 2006 and 2011), but now you can find updates as important new information becomes available.

Watch The Loop for Thursday’s post, which will include details about the new data and other enhancements to the LIFE Study website.

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