Education

World Affairs Challenge (WAC)

Needs Assessment

Overview

The World Affairs Challenge is an international program and competition based in Denver where middle and high school students innovate creative solutions to global issues. Student teams research their selected problem and work with subject matter experts to learn about its root causes and how it impacts communities around the world in different ways. Then they design S.M.A.R.T. solutions to address their team’s selected issue. As part of their project, teams implement community service projects both locally and internationally. At the annual Global Finals event, the teams present their work to a panel of judges for feedback and scoring. World Affairs Challenge participants don’t have to wait until they are older to make a positive difference in the world!

Evaluation Approach

The collaboration focused on exploring and clarifying WAC’s program needs, and building the organization’s evaluation capacity. The goal of the evaluation was to measure students’ growth in identified areas through participation in the program. We used a participatory evaluation approach to develop a logic model and evaluation matrix. In collaboration with the WAC team, we updated surveys using the logic model and evaluation matrix to gauge participants’ satisfaction and learning.  Evaluators created a user-friendly data analysis tool to build the clients’ evaluation capacity in quantitative data analysis and reporting.

 

The data analysis tool created by The Evaluation Center is posted on their website. WAC program leaders explain the evaluation collaboration has enabled them to effectively demonstrate to funders and prospective students the positive impact their program has on participants:  https://www.worldaffairschallenge.org/impact

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Timeline

April 2018 – November 2018

POPULATION SERVED

Middle and High school students worldwide who are interested in global issues and participate in the World Affairs Challenge programming.

Website

https://www.worldaffairschallenge.org/