eXtension Evaluation Community of Practice

NC 4-H Sponsored Webinar on

Participatory Evaluation With Youth

July 15, 2009

Ongoing website:http://nc4-heval.wikispaces.com

Today’s PresentersDr. Mary E. ArnoldAssociate Professor4-H Program Research and Evaluation Specialist Oregon State University

Elissa E. WellsAssistant Professor4-H Youth Educator, Coos County OregonOregon State University

David J. WhiteAssociate Professor4-H Youth Educator, Deschutes County OregonOregon State University

Matthew C. Calvert Assistant Professor4-H Youth Development SpecialistUniversity of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension

Webinar Agenda3:00-3:05 Welcome and orient to the Elluminate system

3:05-3:30 Participatory Evaluation: What is it? And why do it with youth? Dr. Mary Arnold

3:30 -3:55 Participatory Evaluation with Youth:Curriculum Overview Elissa Wells

3:55-4:15 Pathways to Success After High School: A Case Study Example from Deschutes County, OR David White

4:15-4:30 Q & A with presenters

4:30-4:40 Reflection- Matthew Calvert, University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension

4:40-4:50 Evaluation of the webinar

4:50-5:00 Final questions and comments

Research & Evaluation Service

Leadership

Decision Making & Governance

PhilanthropyOrganizing

Media

Civic & Political Engagement

Eight Pathways to Youth Engagement

Adapted from the Kellogg Foundation

Participatory Evaluation

• Grounded in the field of action research, which emphasizes the purposeful use of evaluation results for community improvement

• Participatory evaluation recognizes that program stakeholders play an important role in evaluating the programs that affect them

• Participatory evaluation emphasizing strengthening communities through empowerment as stakeholders discover and use evaluation knowledge for their own betterment Cousins, J. B., & Whitmore, E. (1998). Framing participatory evaluation. E. Whitmore

(Ed.). New Directions for Evaluation: Vol. 80. Understanding and practicing participatory evaluation (pp. 5-24). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Participatory Evaluation

• Practical participatory evaluation – promotes the use of evaluation findings

• Transformative participatory evaluation – emphasizes social justice and empowerment of evaluation participants

• Participatory evaluation with youth does both! Sabo, K. (2003). Editors notes. In K. Sabo (Ed.). New

Directions for Evaluation: Vol. 98. Youth participatory evaluation: A field in the making (pp 1-11). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Positive Youth Development

• The goal of positive youth development programs is to encourage and facilitate the growth of “functionally valued” behaviors, resulting in thriving and well-being throughout adolescence and into adulthood

• The 5 C’s: Competence, Confidence, Character, Connection 7 Caring

• Leading to the sixth C: ConnectionLerner, R. M., Fisher, C. B., & Weinberg, R. A. (2000). Toward a science for and of the people: Promoting civil society through the application of developmental science. Child

Development, 71, 11-20.

Positive Youth Development Programs

• Program atmosphere and setting is important

Roth, J. L. & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2003). What exactly is a youth development program? Answers from research and practice. Applied Developmental Science, 7, 94-111.

• Provides opportunities for belonging, mastery, independence and generosity

Brendtro, L. K., Brokenleg, M., & VanBockern, S. (2002). Reclaiming youth at risk (2nd ed.). Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.

• Youth- adult partnerships are keyZeldin, S., Petrokubi, J., & MacNeil, C. (2008). Youth-adult partnerships in decision making: Disseminating and implementing an innovation idea into established organizations and communities. American Journal of Community Psychology, 41, 262-277.

Youth as Partners in Program Evaluation

Sanction Youth and Adults share responsibility for the evaluation

Evaluation Questions Evaluation questions jointly developed by adults and youth

Methodologies Youth and adults jointly make decisions regarding methods

Analysis of Data Youth and adults jointly analyze data

Interpretation of Findings Youth and adults jointly give meaning to findings

Evaluation Use Youth and adults jointly make decisions regarding the use of findings