Module 2: Understanding your Program or EE Experience

Getting Started

TASK 1:  You may offer a number of programs at your organization.  For the purposes of this course and the remaining assignments, you will want to select one program to focus on.  In your Course Journal, briefly describe (5-7 sentences) the program you selected. 

Using Colorado Collective Outcomes to Help Identify Outcomes

Understanding what we want to achieve can help us collect the most relevant data in an evaluation.  CAEE has been engaged in a multi-year effort to bring together EE practitioners, evaluators, and funders to discover the common and shared outcomes that EE programs and learning experiences are trying to achieve.  CAEE initiated a robust process of gathering community feedback to start establishing collective outcomes in Colorado. By developing a shared language and common understanding of intended outcomes, we can create tools, resources, and learning that can be shared across organizations.  

TASK 2:  Read pages 3-8 in the Collective Outcomes Toolkit.  Review the Collective Outcomes found on page 7-8 of the toolkit.  What impact areas do you think your selected program align best with? 

TASK 3:  Who are the primary stakeholders and audiences for your program evaluation? List 5-10 potential stakeholders (i.e. board, organizational team, teachers, funders, participants, etc.) who might be interested in the evaluation and its results in your course journal.  Identify the impact area from the collective outcomes (i.e. conservation, K-12 education, positive youth development, social justice and health and wellness) that you think is most important to each stakeholder and why.

TASK 4: Next, you need to determine what outcomes you want to measure in your evaluation.  You can use the collective outcomes on page 7-8 of the toolkit to get started.  Which outcomes are you already measuring?  Which would you like to measure?  Which outcomes are your learners and other stakeholders most interested in?  In your Course Journal complete the Alignment Worksheet to help you identify aligned outcomes.  

TASK 5:  How might utilizing the Colorado Collective Outcomes Project support your organization and your work?  What challenges do you see in utilizing shared outcomes? Are there other outcomes you would like to measure?  Record your answers in your Course Journal.

TASK 6:  Environmental education learning experiences can impact learners in a variety of ways.  Our programs often support more outcomes than we have the time and/or resources to collect data on.  In your course journal, record answers to the following questions:

Using the table from Task 6- identify 3-5 that are the most important to you? Why?

What other stakeholders for your EE learning experience might have feedback in selecting which program outcomes are most important?

How might you engage your program or learning experience participants and stakeholders in this process?

OPTIONAL:  Share the attached worksheet with your coworkers/team and other stakeholders to help you identify aligned outcomes. Download a version in Word.

Creating a Theory of Change

Articulating a deep understanding of your program can support you in creating a strong evaluation.  When beginning to map out your evaluation, it is helpful to start by articulating a Theory of Change for your programs. A Theory of Change statement describes the overall goals of the program and how the program will reach them. A comprehensive theory of change takes into consideration the following: 

• Needs of the community and/or the problem the program plans to address
• The target population the program serves
• Key program elements
• Intended goals and outcomes
  
  

TASK 7:  Create your theory of change using the formula, "By providing X to Y, Z will occur."  See page 9 of the toolkit for more information on creating a theory of change.  Record your theory of change in your course journal.  Examples include:

• By providing a weeklong experiential outdoor education program to sixth-grade students at Outdoor Education Center, students will increase their knowledge and awareness of environmental stewardship.
• By providing outdoor behavioral healthcare programming to youth, youth will reduce behavioral problems, develop social skills, and overcome mental health challenges.

Building a Logic Model

In order to evaluate your programs accurately and efficiently, you must first have a clear understanding of what your programs are trying to accomplish and how they intend to do it. One way to do this is by developing a programmatic logic model. A logic model is a high-level visual representation of a program that links program activities to intended outcomes.

TASK 8: Read pages 10-12 of the Colorado Collective Outcomes Toolkit.  Using the chart in your course journal build a logic model for your program.  Refer to the Collective Outcomes on pages 7-8 of the Toolkit, as you fill it out. What program level outcomes can be used as short and medium-term outcomes for your program? What population level outcomes can be used as long-term outcomes for your program?