About this Report

 

Process:

 

This report culminates a two-program year long effort to involve an evaluation component into Discovery Youth. In the summer of 2002, an independent evaluator was invited in to CDM to review the achievements and challenges faced in the previous program year.

 

In the 2002-2003 program year, the evaluator met with CDM staff in October to plan out a year-long evaluation component. The year began with:

 

Brainstorming goals for the program year.

Taking stock of the achievements, skills, and challenges of Discovery Youth staff and participants

Creating a web-based survey to measure skills and interests of Discovery Youth

 

Focus Group sessions with Discovery Youth

 

Two focus group sessions were held at CDM to gather feedback from DY participants about the 2002-2003 program year. The first session was held in February '03 and the second in June of the same year. At each session participants:

 

• Generated lists about the high and low points of Discovery Youth
  • Participant Brainstorming Lists
• Broke out into groups and imagined different stakeholders' points of view; then brainstormed each group's goals and concerns
  • Examining Discovery Youth from other perspectives
• Discussed their relationships with CDM staff and with each other

 

Individual Interviews

 

Over the course of the year 5 participants gave individual interviews where they described their own experiences in Discovery Youth. T heir comments and stories are woven throughout this report.

 

Earlier Work

 

This report builds on the products that have been created over the past two program years. Below are links to previous reports that have been authored by the independent evaluator.

 

Discovery Youth 2003 Baseline Report

 

Discovery Youth 2002 Evaluation Report

 

Discovery Youth 2002 Evaluation Summary