We believe that examining civic data is something everything citizen, especially students, should try at least once. Here are some of the free tools we use, that anyone can use. Let us know if you have other ones.
Google Fusion – No longer available
Derek Eder’s Searchable Map Template
And if you want to get more serious and look into coding:
To find like-minded people to guide you and encourage you:
Apples 2 Apples in Chicago Public Schools 