Alaska Site Visit Finds Rich STEM Activities, Dual Credit Programs

Dr. Shaffer recently returned from a weeklong visit to Dillingham, Alaska, home of the University of Alaska-Fairbanks Bristol Bay Campus. This small campus plays a very big role serving the residents of Bristol Bay region and the Aleutian and Pribilof islands. Because geography and climate are strong factors affecting campus services, regional hubs supported by the Bristol Bay campus are instrumental in bringing higher education through traditional and technological means to isolated communities. Strong partnerships with K-12 school districts has yielded rich dual credit and occupational endorsement coursework, including in industries highly relevant in rural Alaska, such as aviation and fisheries. For traditional higher education students, cutting edge programs in Sustainable Energy and Ecosystem Health support the subsistence lifestyle common in this region. Shaffer Evaluation Group is proud to have worked with the Bristol Bay campus as the evaluator of their Title III grant since late 2014.

Just Finished: Turnaround Arts Evaluation Design

Shaffer Evaluation Group prepared a logic model and evaluation plan for Turnaround Arts, a national initiative led by the President's Committee for the Arts and the Humanities that uses arts education to help turn around America's struggling schools. Turnaround Arts works across the country with priority-designated schools in 27 school districts and 15 states. As part of Turnaround Arts, schools receive an array of arts education services designed to increase their chances of success, engage their community and raise the visibility of their achievements.

New Project: ART 180

Shaffer Evaluation Group is working with ART 180, a nonprofit arts organization based in Richmond, Virginia, to improve the evaluation of its programs. ART 180 creates and provides art-related programs for young people living in challenging circumstances, encouraging personal and community change through self-expression. We are working closely with program staff to update their logic model, identify measurable outcomes, and design evaluation methods that will help the organization document its impact on youth.