Building capacity for evaluation with students and volunteers

An essential part of improving sport service delivery is program evaluation. Program evaluation allows sport organizations to understand how their programs or initiatives work in different ways. However, many organizations receive insufficient training or lack the capacity (staff, funding or time) to engage in evaluative work (Carman & Fredericks, 2010).  One way that sport organizations can boost capacity for evaluation is to involve students and volunteers. Indeed, there are many examples of graduate students partnering with…

The Operationalizing Intersectionality Framework

The Operationalizing Intersectionality (OI) Framework provides guidance for putting intersectional approaches into practice. Visualized as a wheel, the OI Framework identifies four points of traction: (1) Learning, (2) Harm Reduction, (3) Accountability & Transparency, and (4) Transformation. Learn about how you can apply these concepts to improve programs, policies, and spaces in the SIRC blog.

Blog Writing: A Powerful Tool for Student Learning and Mobilizing Sport Research

This blog introduces a new blog series written by students in the ‘Program Evaluation in Professional Practice’ and ‘Child and Youth Work in Community Recreation’ courses at Brock University. Drawing on research evidence and their own experiences, students in both classes wrote blogs focused on the application of course-related concepts, such as how to implement…

Build It Up, Knock It Down: My Journey with Program Evaluation in a Para Sport Organization

This blog is part of a series in collaboration with Brock University. Written by a student in the ‘Program Evaluation in Professional Practice’ course, this blog details a student’s first-hand experience conducting a program evaluation during a placement with the Brock Niagara Penguins. The blog aims to provide reflections and best practices for sport stakeholders…

Movement-based approaches to program evaluation with children

This blog is part of a series in collaboration with Brock University. Written by a student in the ‘Program Evaluation in Professional Practice’ course, this blog draws on a student’s first-hand experience conducting a program evaluation during a placement with the Bounce Back League. In this blog, Ashley Romano, a 4th year undergraduate student, offers…

Expertise for program evaluation

According to an Ontario Nonprofit Network report, 86% of non-profits do not have staff with experience or expertise designing and implementing program evaluations. In the SIRCuit, MLSE LaunchPad describes their evaluation approach, and shares insights to help build sport organization capacity to engage youth participants in evaluation activities.

The Operationalizing Intersectionality Framework: A Tool for Sport Administrators

Equity work often “lets some others join” but still centers on the needs of the most privileged members in a group. To better integrate the experiences and perspectives of diverse individuals, intersectional approaches to policies, programs, and practices—which account for the multiple, overlapping systems of oppression some individuals face­—are vital. E-Alliance, the national gender+ equity…

Increasing program impact

Looking to increase the reach of your training program? Encourage stakeholders to make it mandatory. An evaluation of the Keeping Girls in Sport online module demonstrated high completion rates in provinces where the training was mandated by some provincial sport organizations.

Gamification

Gamification is the use of game techniques, such as the allocation of points and rewards, to provide incentive and fuel the competitive spirit in aspects of life outside of sport. Learn how MLSE LaunchPad has used gamification to support the development of prosocial life skills in the SIRCuit.

Engaging youth in evaluation

“Youth are notoriously difficult to engage in pre- and post-program evaluation. Collecting survey responses can be like catching fish with your hands.” In the SIRCuit, MLSE LaunchPad’s Marika Warner and Bryan Heal share the organization’s innovative approach to engaging youth in program evaluation.