Measuring and Holding Change: Assessing Youth Art Programs

Monday, October 18, 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm

Organized by Klare Shaw, senior advisor for education, arts and culture, Barr Foundation.

Presented by Julia Gittleman, principal, Mendelsohn, Gittleman & Associates; Brenda Rodriguez-Andujar, director of school based cultural programs, Hyde Square Task Force; Julie F. Simpson, executive director, Urban Gateways: Center for Arts Education; Kathe Swaback, program director and project leader, Raw Art Works and the Boston Youth Evaluation Project.

This session is an examination of the different ways we have measured the complex considerations, such as youth development and community impact, involved in the assessment of youth arts programs and organizations. Although nonprofits are attempting to successfully document the impact of long-term program initiatives, it is also difficult to document immediate program impact: what are the changes, which changes are the result of the programs, and how can we use this information to better meet the needs of the youth that are served? Panelists will share new tools, frameworks, and findings, and encourage discussions about how these might be replicated for widespread use in the youth arts field.


Related Links:

Raw Art Works
Boston Youth Arts Evaluation Project
Urban Gateways: Center for Arts Education