Intentional Program Design Matters

1. Intentional Program Design Matters Session 2

2. Agenda for Today • 9:00 am – Overview, Updates, Reflections • 9:20 am – Reviewing the Program Cycle • 10:30 am – Break • 10:40 am – Another View of the Program • 11:40 am – Lunch (approximate) • 12:10 pm – Theory of Change and your Program • 1:15 pm – Wrapping Up • 1:30 pm – Good-bye

3. Session 2 • Examine the critical learning experiences across the “program cycle” • Continue to explore the program narrative or “ethos” • Discover historical remnants in your program • Articulate the theory of change of your program

4. Updates and Reflections

5. It Starts with the Calendar:A “wide-angle” Look at your Program • Put the dates of your program on the timeline • Write in major events, learning experiences and/or components • Mark V, P, R, M, RA, RP where appropriate • Add traditions. Add “meaningful service” • What can we learn from this view?

6. Remember the design principles Apply principles of design to the program cycle: • Balance • Proportion or Emphasis • Variety • Unity • Rhythm

7. High Recreation Model: Example of Rhythm in Youth Program Design

8. Program Cycle:After School Program

9. Program Cycle: Youth Soccer Season

10. Program Cycle: 4-H (Historically)

11. Program Cycle:Residential Camp – 5 Days

12. Critical Moments in Programs • For the young person, is your program just one learning experience or a series? • Are there points within the Program Cycle, where there is a focus on Voice, or Reflection, or Relationship Building, or other key types of engagement? Could this be built in? • Are all of your “components” represented?

13. Critical Questions • Where are the strengths in the Program Cycle? Trouble spots? • Does the Program Cycle have balance and a rhythm? • What are other lessons from looking at the Program Cycle? • Look at the program cycle and the “calendar”

14. BREAK

15. Activity: Build a structure

16. Basic Youth Needs(G. Konopka) • Feel a sense of safety and structure. • Experience active participation, group membership, and belonging. • Develop self-worth through meaningful contribution. • Experiment to discover self, gain independence, and gain control over one’s life. • Develop significant quality relationships with peers and at least one adult. • Discuss conflicting values and form their own. • Feel pride of competence and mastery. • Expand their capacity to enjoy life and know that success is possible.

17. This is part of the program philosophy • List your program goals • List the youth needs your program will address

18. Minnesota Student Survey • Students were asked to report reasons for and for not participating in clubs and activities in both school and community-based settings (during the school year). • Top reasons for participation include:   To have fun To learn new skills • Interestingly, 9th grade females also reported participating because their friends participate and to help get into college, which offers program planning opportunities for engaging new girls. • Top reasons for not participating include:   Not interested Too busy with other things

19. Appeal

20. Theory of Change • Popularized in 1990s to capture complex initiatives • Outcomes-based • Causal model • Articulate underlying assumptions

21. Richard Krueger Example Dick Krueger 1. Educator writes a flyer re: stopping smoking 2. Flyer written at appropriate reading level 3. Flyer contains information persuasive to target audience 4. Flyer is distributed to doctors’ offices 5. Flyer is displayed in doctors’ offices 6. Target audience visits doctors’ offices 7. Target audience notices flyer and takes one 8. Target audience reads and understands flyer

22. Richard Krueger ExampleContinued 9. Target audience believes message 10. Target audience has the motivation to stop smoking 11. Target audience has the support to stop smoking 12. Target audience makes effort to stop smoking 13. Target audience successfully stops smoking 14. Target audience continues to not smoke in following years 15. Target audience is less likely to develop lung cancer 16. Overall, the rate of lung cancer is lowered

23. Richard Krueger

25. http://www.uwex.edu/ces/pdande/

26. LUNCH BREAK

27. Reflections about program philosophy

28. Video clips and discussion

29. Evaluation Thanks for your Comments

30. Session 3 • Review history of programs • Explore program within context of the community • Complete the re-design of the program including the bigger picture of community fit • Develop a plan to move this work into authentic experiences for youth that reflect program intentions; staff training; community perceptions; and program memory

31. Good-Bye • See you next week, same time and place • My cell phone number for emergency 218-390-0675 • Tasks for Week 3: Appeal, History of our Program, Theory of Change, Connections, Reflections

32. Discussion • Questions • “Aha moments”

33. r What is a logic model? Dick Krueger • It is a model of how the program works. • It identifies areas of interest to program staff, planners, and evaluators. • It makes assumptions explicit so that others can comment on and review the program design. • It helps identify the factors which make the program successful.

34. Logic Model – Table format UWEX

35. Richard Krueger What can we learn from a logic model? • Does the program work the way we think it does? • Are there gaps or misplaced assumptions? • How are inputs and outputs connected to outcomes? • Do others see the program the way you do? • Where can evaluation evidence be obtained? • Are there unanticipated factors needed for program success?

36. Richard Krueger How to construct a logic model? • Identify the end result – What is it that you want to people to do? • Identify the starting point and the first few things that might be done. • Work from both ends and connect the dots. • Share the model with others and invite feedback. • Identify the places where evaluative data might be collected

37. Richard Krueger Example: Logic Model 1. Educator writes flyer re: stopping smoking 2. Flyer written at appropriate reading level 3. Flyer contains information persuasive to target audience 4. Flyer is distributed to doctors’ offices 5. Flyer is displayed in doctors’ offices 6. Target audience visits doctors’ offices 7. Target audience notices flyer and takes one 8. Target audience reads and understands flyer

38. Richard Krueger Example: Logic Model MakingContinued 9. Target audience believes message 10. Target audience has the motivation to stop smoking 11. Target audience has the support to stop smoking 12. Target audience makes effort to stop smoking 13. Target audience successfully stops smoking 14. Target audience continues to not smoke in following years 15. Target audience is less likely to develop lung cancer 16. Overall, the rate of lung cancer is lowered

39. Richard Krueger When to use Logic Models? • When an existing program doesn’t work as expected • When developing a new training, product, or policy • When you want to avoid failure • When complex external forces are present

40. Richard Krueger Tips on Using a Logic Model • Higher levels of evidence are not necessarily appropriate • Use level of evidence appropriate for your evaluation • Model helps us understand how program operates and reveals valuable perceptions of others • Model helps us determine locations of evaluation evidence

41. Consider participation • Intensity • Frequency • Breadth???

42. Be Clear about Component Intentions Sample - Showcase/Fair Sample - Camp Day or residential learning experiences in outdoor environments. Targeted to all youth audiences. Designed to develop a greater awareness, understanding, and appreciation of nature and our relationship to it. Learning facilitated through hands-on discovery and exploration activities. • A public showcase of learning in a community that is meaningful to youth. • Brings closure to a series of learning experiences offering opportunity for facilitated reflection, goal setting and authentic recognition. • A “measuring stick” for individual and/or group growth. • A “feeder” to the next level of opportunities. • Helps youth feel the power of being part of a larger community (in real time).