Collaboration with NC State University Enhances Strategic Evaluation Plan
The Watersmith Guild is proud to announce exciting enhancements to its strategic evaluation plan, developed in collaboration with leading environmental education non-profits and faculty at North Carolina State University convened through the National Recreation Foundation’s Environmental Education Grant. The updated evaluation plan integrates culturally responsive and equitable evaluation techniques, feedback from data scientists, and insights from peer organizations to improve program outcomes and the experience of youth participants. These recent advancements allow new insight into the positive impact that First Waves and Aqua Lab Adventures have on community, environmental and youth outcomes.
The evaluation plan utilizes mixed evaluation methods that capture the diverse experiences of youth. Surveys allow evaluation to reach nearly 100% of youth that attend Watersmith Guild programs, showcasing the strength of our programs in reaching all attendees. It also enables analysis of program-to-program variations in the experiences of youth to bolster future programs. Through collaboration with NC State, research-backed survey methods were incorporated into the evaluation plan to increase reproducibility of the results.
Qualitative evaluation methods capture youths’ testimonials through interviews conducted by youths themselves and by professional filmmaking staff. Integrated into documentary filmmaking lessons, youth-led interviews promote reflection while capturing personal aspects of youths’ experiences. Through qualitative analysis of youth interviews, themes in their experiences are identified and used to assess program impacts.
“They’ve learned so much about the environment and how to work as a team. A lot of them have never been paddleboarding before, and it’s great to see them bond over new experiences. Today, they learned about water sampling, pH levels, and the wildlife in the area. It’s been a fantastic experience for them.”
There are numerous impacts of Watersmith Guild programs that extend into youths' classrooms, homes, and communities. A combination of surveys and interviews of community and education partners enables long-term assessments of the impacts of youth after a program. The diverse stakeholders that make the Watersmith Guild possible provide valuable insights that strengthen programs and steer program development.
“This kind of work is crucial because it teaches kids about environmental health and conservation. The youth are the future, and investing in them and our environment is the only way forward.”
This collaboration was made possible with support from the National Recreation Foundation