Youth
Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District
Pre-K Strategic Plan • Solano County
The Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District (FSUSD) contracted with Korwin Consulting to assess the community’s pre-kindergarten service needs and to develop a strategic plan aimed at addressing those needs. Through key informant interviews, surveys, research of best practices, and facilitation of community planning meetings, this planning process provided the district with the information and community buy-in necessary to begin ensuring that all children are “ready to learn” when they enter kindergarten.
Imperial County SafeFutures Program
Restorative Justice Model Evaluation • Imperial County
Imperial County’s SafeFutures Program was a collaboration between rural health, social service, and juvenile justice, youth-serving organizations seeking to create a restorative juvenile justice model in Imperial County. As manager of this multi-year evaluation effort, Lisa Korwin was responsible for the evaluation design, development of associated evaluation tools, and launching the multi-user Management Information System. Lisa trained participating collaborative members in data collection methods, conducted key informant interviews and focus groups, and analyzed and documented evaluation findings.
Proyecto Unidad Substance Abuse Treatment Program for Latino Adolescents
Three-Year Evaluation • Santa Cruz and Monterey
The Center for Substance Abuse Treatment funded Proyecto Unidad, a substance abuse treatment program targeting primarily Latino adolescents and their families in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties. Bringing together a consortium composed of leading health, human service, juvenile justice, and education entities, Proyecto Unidad provided case management, treatment planning, outpatient, day treatment, residential, and other services to these individuals and families.
Lisa Korwin’s evaluation of Proyecto Unidad included key informant interviews, client, and staff focus groups, treatment completion and retention studies, and additional data analysis—measuring indicators of client and systems change. Ultimately, the information gained through this evaluation helped program implementers modify their service approach and better meet the needs of this high-risk youth population.
Tobacco Advocacy Mentoring
Project Evaluation • Bay Area
The Tobacco Advocacy Mentoring Project paired community college students with middle schools to effect change in the tobacco environment of each. Korwin Consulting’s evaluation measured the impact this project had on campus and targeted community tobacco-related policies, student and college administrators’ attitudes related to tobacco, and ultimately, the prevalence of tobacco use in these targeted sites.
YWCA of Silicon Valley
New Options After-School Program Evaluation Design • San Jose
New Options is the YWCA of Silicon Valley's multilingual, school-based after-school program. Its goal is to empower youth by building developmental assets, promoting healthy lifestyles, explaining positive life options, and creating a sense of hope for young people. Korwin Consulting facilitated a 6-month participatory process with New Options staff to jointly develop New Options’ logic model and evaluation design to guide future program evaluation efforts.
Foster Youth
California Youth Connection
2002 – 2007 Annual Evaluations • California
California Youth Connection (CYC) is an advocacy organization guided by current and former foster youth, promoting the participation of foster youth in policy development and legislative change to improve the foster care system. Between 2002 and 2007, Korwin Consulting worked with CYC to evaluate its impact on the personal capacity and development of its members, its chapters’ capacity to engage in local and statewide policy efforts, and its broader impact on statewide policy related to the child welfare system throughout California.
Y.O.U.T.H. Training Project
2003 – Present Annual Evaluations • California
The Y.O.U.T.H. Training Project uses an innovative youth developed and delivered curriculum providing child welfare staff with the instruction and tools they need to assist foster youth in making a successful transition to independence and achieving self-sufficiency. Korwin Consulting partners with the Project through the administration and evaluation of retrospective pre-tests, online follow-up surveys, focus groups, interviews, and journals to evaluate both youth leadership as well as improved social worker outcomes.
LGBTQ Youth
Ally Action
RESPECT and PRYDE Evaluation • Contra Costa County
Ally Action engaged Korwin Consulting in evaluating its RESPECT and PRYDE programs to learn whether and how they are strengthening the capacity of schools to reduce the behavioral risks that threaten the health and well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth. Results of this two-year study show that more than 600 teachers and staff are taking the knowledge gained in RESPECT training workshops and applying it in their schools through advocacy, anti-gay harassment intervention, and education of students. Equally impressive, the more than 2,000 young people participating in PRYDE classroom-based, sensitivity trainings indicate a greater willingness to support LGBTQ youth and, in some cases, change their own harassing behavior toward these youth, as a result of the training.
Contra Costa Safe Schools Coalition
Four-Year Evaluation • Contra Costa County
The Contra Costa County Safe Schools Coalition (CCSSC) is committed to increasing safety and support in local school communities for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth and families. The Coalition, which includes public agencies as well as non-profit organizations, develops and delivers an integrated package of peer- and adult-led educational workshops for school communities, mobilizes youth activists and peer health educators, and provides LGBTQ-friendly counseling and support groups. Findings from Korwin Consulting’s four-year evaluation show that the Coalition is contributing to safer school environments for LGBTQ youth and is increasing LGBTQ and other young people’s understanding of key physical and mental health issues. The evaluation also showed that Coalition members are helping to ensure comprehensive, LGBTQ-inclusive policy development and implementation in local school districts. Download Making Schools Safe for LGBTQ and All Youth: Lessons from the Contra Costa Safe Schools Coalition.
New Conservatory Theatre
The Other Side of the Closet Evaluation • Bay Area
This theater-in-education program was designed to increase young people’s sensitivity and tolerance toward those who may be different from them—addressing issues of homophobia, self-esteem, discrimination, peer pressure, youth violence, and identity. Through post-performance surveys, performance observation, post-performance correspondence, and summary performance attendance data, this evaluation focused on the immediate impact that the performance had on its young viewers. The central question was concerned with how the audience members interpret the play’s messages. Do they relate to any of the characters in the play? Have they experienced or observed similar situations as those depicted in the play? And finally, has seeing this play in any way influenced their tolerance levels toward LGBTQ community members?