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April 18, 2008
One down, One to Go!
What a busy semester! I've been so negligent of blogging duties!
I have been fortunate. Finals week was very brief for me. Most of my classes were over by the last day of class. I had only one final during finals week (this morning). I think part of the reason for this is that there aren't a lot of actual exams in SI classes (at least not in non-technical areas). For me, a lot of classes end in papers and project presentations. I think it's a nice structure because finals time means bringing everything you've been working on to a close and shining it up all pretty to present to your peers. I'm all about it.
On Tuesday we presented our finished product for SI 623: Outcomes-based Evaluation. This is a qualitative research class with group projects that evaluate new or existing programs for various community organizations, including (but not limited to) local libraries. Groups are allowed to seek out their own project if they wish, and so my group set up an evaluation with a local youth center. The result was an extraordinary experience both for us and for our client. They were wonderful people to work with (I am considering some volunteer work with them this summer) and our evaluation came at just the right time for them. Our contact from the Center came to our presentation on Tuesday and enthusiastically told the class how useful our work had been and the changes it had already enacted in their organization.
It was an incredibly valuable experience, and worth sharing because it represents one of my favorite features of SI projects, which is the possibility of working with real clients who can really benefit from our assistance (it's the non-profit lover in me). Not only did our group learn about the realities of running an outcomes-based evaluation, but in doing so it was also able to benefit a local organization that could not otherwise afford such assistance. Yay us.
Posted by messelti at April 18, 2008 11:41 AM