Final Presentations from a Year of GEDI Learning and Light I

Lessons Learned in exploring implementation of culturally responsive and equitable evaluation (CREE) within a school-based project and a healthcare sustainability project – Cecilia Vaughn-Guy Evaluation takes places in several phases, including needs/asset assessment and planning, implementation and creation and dissemination of summative reports. This presentation will cover lessons learned in exploring implementation of culturally responsive and equitable evaluation (CREE) within a school-based project and a healthcare sustainability project. Lessons learned included the importance of learning about the cultures that influence and inform evaluation on the individual and systemic levels, core competencies that support incorporation of CREE principles in environments that have limited familiarity and ways to integrate CREE principles in various stages in the process. Using Systematic Review to Tell the Impact Story of Meals on Wheels America for Evaluation – Gideon Eduah Meals on Wheels America is an organization that has many local programs that serve American seniors in different communities with various nutritional and supportive programs. Numerous research studies have been conducted by local Meals on Wheels programs and independent researchers and scholars on the impact of operations of Meals on Wheels in given communities. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were used to tell the impact story of community-based home-delivered meals (Meals on Wheels) programs. We included a broad range of research designs, diverse publication sources (peer-reviewed literature, government research reports, etc.), and various impact measures for a complete impact story. We then combined findings from the systematic review with critical data from other sources to tell a more complete story. Lessons learned include using systematic review impacts of Meals on Wheels programs that address (malnutrition, social isolation, food insecurity, etc.) on healthcare outcomes for seniors in America. Impact evaluation is needful for Meals on Wheels programs because the evidence generated will help support their need to thrive. We plan to update our review with new publications periodically to assess the advancement of the field. These techniques can also tell impact stories on other topics in different organizations. Evaluating COVID-19 vaccine experiences and health literacy through Storytelling – Gloria Buame Experiential learning circles engage community members to share their health literacy experiences in a group. Evaluators and researchers use this process to create and share health narrative accounts of their lives, especially during COVID-19. A one-minute one-question open-ended survey was also used to collect data on participants’ experiences with the COVID-19 vaccine and contact tracing. These methods engaged participants in groups and individual storytelling sessions to record and assess participants' life experiences. A topic on accessing resources in communities led participants to share barriers and access issues in their communities during the covid-19 pandemic. This topic also brought up ways to assess which communities have some knowledge of how to access these resources in their counties or find such information virtually. Participants in the experiential learning circles' stories and experiences were recorded and transcribed into five themes: transportation issues, welfare concerns, misinformation, frustration with digital/internet issues, and cultural/religious conundrum. The minute survey responses provided individual perspectives and sentiments on the COVID-19 vaccine. They offered a genuine self-report of their level of health literacy regarding the vaccine and available resources. The stories I heard affected my evaluation choices according to the data collection tools used in this evaluation. This impacted the use of more qualitative data collection tools and the voicemail method of the one-minute one-question open-ended survey due to participants’ preferred languages to ensure culturally responsive evaluation. Building from the Ground Up: Participant Experiences for Developing Culturally Responsive Equity Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Programs – Judanne Lennox Morrison A feedback cycle grounded in what participants say they experience, or need to experience, to best receive EDI content is a critical component to fully understand the impact of these leadership development programs. Often, evaluation data focuses on the overall ram experience or content and whether it achieved a desired impact, while not adequately investigating the role of the facilitator and their preparation to create the best learning environment for participants. This presentation discusses the importance of a continuous improvement cycle grounded in participant experiences for effective organizational learning. The presentation shares how narrative storytelling methods were utilized to foreground participant experiences in equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) programs and analyzed the data alongside facilitator reflections to inform facilitator capability development related to EDI. Results from several hundred participant responses indicate that flexible and responsive facilitation, as well as encouraging diverse views, were the most helpful aspects of program facilitation. The study also identifed areas for improvement, including increasing peer-to-peer learning and adopting flexible workshop structures. By prioritizing participant feedback, specifc facilitator behaviors and competencies such as partnership, trust-building, pre-evaluation research, and co-creation were identifed to support optimal learning experiences. These behaviors can beneft other types of programming and drive organizational effectiveness. The narrative use of participant data is a storytelling shift that can promote greater equity in the feedback cycle. Reclaiming the right to Mental Healthcare Access: A Qualitative Evaluation of the Community Responsive Wellness Program (CRWP) – Yemariam Eyob The Community Responsive Wellness Program (CRWP) was designed in 2021 to address the mental health needs of Black and Brown communities in Sacramento County, California. The need for healing in this community after witnessing community and police violence, the extensive effects of COVID-19, and continuous racial injustices, is dire. That need must be met with sustainable, equitable solutions in the face of scarce resources. Evaluators, program staff, and community members united to share their stories of affirmation, compassion, wholeness, and collaboration. Through co-development of the evaluative instruments, building solid relationships, and assuring full transparency throughout, a qualitative evaluation was conducted to understand the quality of the CRWP’s process and outcomes. In the interviews, I learned the extent that the staff members were willing to go for their clients as well as what that meant to the clients. The work begins far before referral, an output measurement prioritized in evaluating the program's success. Repeatedly, the clients report feeling like the staff supported them like a family which is powerful. Furthermore, the shortages and sacrifices being paid by staff members were apparent. The CRWP allows partners to expand their network for support and expertise while also providing a space for healing within themselves. The power of the program, provided by the integrity of its people, is the story of Sacramento’s communities re-claiming their right to mental healthcare access.