Evaluation Ensures Your Voice is Heard

SCF Learning Institute and AEA GEDI Intern Lucy Rogers

Since August of 2016, SCF has been hosting Lucy Rogers, an intern from the American Evaluation Association’s (AEA) Graduate Education Diversity Internship (GEDI) program. The GEDI program provides internship and training opportunities for students in graduate education programs. The program is designed for students from groups that are not well-represented in the field of evaluation. Lucy has been working with the SCF Learning Institute’s Program Evaluator to design and implement a plan to evaluate the effectiveness of the Learning Institute’s teachings about SCF’s Nuka System of Care.

“I really see it as a strong mentorship experience because I am working with a professor at UAA, my supervisor at SCF, and the co-directors at AEA GEDI,” Lucy says. “I’m learning on-site evaluation to learn theory and best practices here at SCF and with group projects that we do as a GEDI cohort.”

Lucy’s time at SCF has helped her to see the cultural aspect of evaluation more clearly, as well as gain insight into her own cultural views. “It’s so amazing to me to have this opportunity to learn about my own cultural lens and the culture of others, and to consider that systematically in evaluation so that all voices can be heard,” she says. “I value culture and I see that at SCF.”

In addition to learning about evaluation techniques and helping to put them into practice at SCF, Lucy has also made many connections here. “I have, in the past eight months, formed so many new relationships with colleagues here at SCF and with GEDI scholars,” she says. “I feel like that is one of the most important things I’m getting out of this. I’m learning that you don’t have to do evaluation by yourself, it’s really a team effort and I’m learning that from this experience.”

Lucy’s experience at SCF has made her want to pursue a career in evaluation. “Evaluation is exciting to me because it’s a good tool to use for improving programs and addressing social change,” she says. “I’m really passionate about social justice and I feel evaluation is an avenue to pursue that interest.”

Lucy will be with SCF through June of 2017. SCF will be looking for a new GEDI intern for the next academic year. More information about the GEDI program can be found at the AEA’s website: http://www.eval.org/GEDI