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.
Project: Program Logic Models
The Fatherhood Network supports fathers by providing a community of peers, resources, and programs to help them be more actively engaged in their children's lives. The lab created nine logic models for services such as peer support and coaching, Dad Cafés, community resources, and men's wellness retreats.
Project: Football, Learning Lab, Cheer, Day Camp
Premier Athletics uses sports, games, and physical activities as its vehicle for youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility. The lab facilitated the development and design of five logic models for four of Premier Athletics for Youth Development’s programs: Cheerleading, Football, Day Camp, and Learning Lab.
Project: Can-Do Camp
Can-Do Kalamazoo provides entrepreneurial education and support services with particular expertise in food-related businesses. 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.
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.
Project: Broncos Lead, Bronco Connect, Campus wide Undergraduate Survey
Empowering Futures refers to the initiatives funded by a $500 million gift to WMU. 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 interface with and the impact of EFG initiatives. In 2025, the lab surveyed over 600.
Project: Hub ONE
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.
Project: Evaluation Consulting
Kalamazoo Black Male Alliance 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.
Project: Journeys, Camp Good Grief
Centrica Care Navigators provides a comprehensive range of services for individuals and families coping with illness, aging, dying, and loss. 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.
Project: NowKalamazoo, Diversifying Media, Civic Engagement, Beyond Bullets, Civic Scribes
The Local Journalism Foundation is an area media organization that focuses on participatory journalism, public education, and civic engagement. The lab assisted in developing logic models for LJF overall and five of LJF’s initiatives such as Civic Scribes, Beyond Bullets, and Diversifying Media. The lab conducted an evidence scan by systematically gathering research on local news media impacting civic engagement.
Project: Justice Lifted
The Walker Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnic Relations is an endowed institute at WMU dedicated to fostering understanding and promoting social justice regarding race and ethnic relations through research, education, and community engagement. The Walker Institute partnered with Gryphon Place for the Justice Lifted program, a juvenile diversion program. The lab consulted on the program’s evaluation strategy and instruments, and analyzed client and program staff interviews.
Project: Higher Education for the Justice-Involved
Higher Education for the Justice Involved is a WMU Humanities program providing philosophy courses to individuals incarcerated at Lakeland Correctional Facility in Coldwater, Michigan. The lab consults with HEJI regarding evaluation strategy and data collection, is developing an evaluation matrix, and revising HEJI’s data collection instruments.
Project: Kalamazoo Entrepreneurial Landscape Survey
The Kalamazoo Entrepreneur Network works to connect local entrepreneurs with resources, promote collaboration among organizations, and provide events, mentorship, and networking opportunities to support and empower entrepreneurs, particularly focusing on BIPOC entrepreneurs. 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.