On February 28, 2026, the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, together with Women in Mathematics (WiM) and the Canadian Statistical Sciences Institute (CANSSI) hosted its inaugural Florence Nightingale Day. The event was aimed at girls and students from underrepresented groups, but welcomed any students from Grades 10-12 across the Waterloo Region who were interested in exploring statistics and data science.
“The event truly helped me gain a larger insight on what statistics are,” said one attendee. “It truly helped me affirm my passion for statistics, data analysis, coding, and math in general.”
Though Florence Nightingale is best remembered as the founder of modern nursing, she was also a pioneer in data visualization. Among her many innovations in collecting and strategically deploying public health data, she created the “coxcomb” diagram, the ancestor of the contemporary pie chart. Florence Nightingale Day was established in 2018 by a coalition of statistical societies who were invested in celebrating the contributions of women to data science and encouraging more equitable representation in the field.
At Saturday’s event, students participated in hands-on activities centered on foundational statistical ideas, including probability, linear regression, and capture-recapture methods. In a probability activity, for example, players designed and played a bingo-style game to explore how probability describes the likelihood of different outcomes.
Participants also attended a panel discussion featuring two faculty members, an industry professional, and an undergraduate student, providing visitors with different perspectives on careers in statistics and data science. Afterwards, students had the opportunity to ask questions about career opportunities, essential skills they should focus on, and the importance of representation.
“This opportunity helped me learn more about the fields of math and statistics and think more about my postsecondary plans,” a participant said. She also appreciated meeting “friendly and professional people who shared their experiences and helped me understand these subjects better.”
The organizing committee would like to thank the event’s sponsors, speakers, volunteers, and “most importantly, the students who joined us to learn more about the exciting and impactful world of statistics and data science.”
To learn more about Women in Math, visit their website.