Research Associate Centerstone Richmond, Virginia, United States
Abstract Information: The stories we tell shape the narrative of an evaluation, its usage, and its benefit. It is a disservice to make meaning of data without input of those who hold the most stake: the community of interest themselves. Data without context cannot weave an accurate story. When conducting Needs Assessment, it is easy to fall into a deficit lens. When attempting to reach hard to reach populations trust is paramount and a deficit lens is count intuitive. We will discuss our process of reframing the needs assessment approach to be strengths-based and participatory. We uplift Village of Wisdom’s “Dreams Assessment” approach and encourage future inquirers to express genuine interest in community member’s dreams and aspirations for their community.
