At MDI, we bring people together to explore how privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs) can help education systems use data safely and responsibly. Through events like hands-on workshops and multi-day convenings, we share practical tools, real-world examples, and space for collaborative problem-solving.
Upcoming Events
Summer Institute 2026
Date: June 22 – June 24, 2026 in Washington, D.C. With expert speakers and practical sessions, we’ll unpack strategies for protecting student and worker privacy using PETs, cover techniques for strengthening your data infrastructure and share lessons from peer data-sharing efforts across the country. In order to meet growing demand from our SLDS colleagues, the Summer Institute program will feature two concurring tracks: one geared toward PET newbies and another for those who are already well versed in PETs. We welcome you to attend whichever track best suits your organization’s needs.
Join our quarterly virtual forums for hands-on learning and discussions about privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs). This is a space for technical and policy staff at state and local education agencies and SLDS to connect and learn from one another.
Date: June 9–11, 2025 The 2025 Summer Institute brought together SLDS staff, researchers, and technologists for three days of discussion on privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs). The Institute featured presentations, panel discussions, and product demonstrations on how to integrate PETs into longitudinal data systems while accounting for the regulatory, governance, and equity considerations that accompany these data infrastructure changes. See the Summer Institute program for more information.
Date: March 12, 2025 Researchers at MDI, The Data Foundation, and the Future of Privacy Forum hosted a Legal Convening focused on the topic of Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs) and their intersection with legal frameworks in the sharing of educational data. The purpose of this workshop was to delineate key challenges practitioners are encountering with advanced privacy tools and how they fit into existing data sharing statutes. See the workshop’s Presentation slides and Resulting Q&As for more information.
