Projects

The Evaluation Lab, housed in The Evaluation Center at WMU, operates as a fee-for-service. Fees support student-evaluator training and conference attendance, and cover evaluation-related expenses including travel, administrative costs, supplies, and hardware and software needed to provide our services and products.

Can-Do Kalamazoo logo

Project: Can-Do Camp

The lab designed, administered, analyzed, and reported on evaluations of Can-Do Camp, a 12-week entrepreneurial training program. Specifically, the lab administered weekly and post-camp surveys with several cohorts of camp participants and facilitated 6-month and 1-year follow-up interviews.

City of Kalamazoo logo

Project: Imagine Kalamazoo 2035

The City of Kalamazoo facilitated a year-long process for gathering data from city residents to inform the City’s 10-year strategic plan. The lab provided data management, analysis, and visualization to IK 2035.

Western Michigan University logo

Project: Broncos Lead, Bronco Connect, Campus wide Undergraduate Survey

The lab designed, conducted, facilitated, analyzed, and reported on focus groups with Broncos Lead internship participants and focus groups, interviews, and surveys with Bronco Connect living learning community residents. In 2024, the lab surveyed more than 400 undergrads in person about their WMU experience. In 2025, the lab surveyed over 600. 

Kalamazoo Black Male Alliance logo

Project: Consulting

KBMA is a social-educational organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for Black men and boys. The lab provides ongoing evaluation, capacity-building support, and consultation.

Centrica Care Navigators logo

Project: Journeys, Camp Good Grief

Journeys and Camp Good Grief are initiatives to provide bereavement groups for children and families experiencing a loss. The lab consulted on creating an evaluation strategy, developing project logic models, and revising Centrica’s existing data collection instruments.

The Local Journalism Foundation logo

Project: Program Logic Models and Evidence Scan

LJF is a Kalamazoo-area media organization that focuses on participatory journalism, public education, and civic engagement. The lab assisted in drafting logic models for LJF overall and several LJF initiatives. The lab conducted an evidence scan by systematically gathering research on local news media impacting civic engagement.

Lewis Walker Institute logo

Project: Justice Lifted Evaluation Strategy

Consulted with the Walker Institute on developing an evaluation strategy and instruments of Gryphon Place’s Justice Lifted program, a juvenile diversion program.

Higher Education for the Justice-Involved logo

HEJI is a WMU Humanities program providing philosophy courses to individuals incarcerated at Lakeland Correctional Facility, Coldwater, Michigan. The lab consults with HEJI regarding evaluation strategy and outcome measures.

Kalamazoo Entrepreneur Network logo

Project: Kalamazoo Entrepreneurial Landscape Survey

The lab designed, administered, analyzed, and reported on a survey of 71 Kalamazoo County entrepreneurs. With the English and Spanish-language survey, KZEN hoped to learn about entrepreneurs’ business status, perspectives on the entrepreneurial environment, and business needs.

Hub ONE logo

Hub ONE is a collaboration of Big Brothers Big Sisters, Prevention Works, and Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Kalamazoo that seeks solutions to problems faced by local nonprofits. Hub ONE facilitated three listening sessions with organizations’ leaders, and the lab transcribed, analyzed, and reported on each listening session. Additionally, the lab interviewed the listening session facilitator.