HRiA is conducting a 3-year evaluation and capacity building project for the IGNITE Engaging Youth initiative in the Paso del Norte region. This region includes El Paso and Hudspeth Counties (Texas), Doña Ana, Luna, and Otero Counties (New Mexico), and Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. For IGNITE, eight grantees received funding from the Paso del Norte Health Foundation to improve youth connectedness. Each grantee is implementing a different intervention to reach this aim. HRiA provided capacity building training on evaluation tools, the youth development approach including disconnected youth recruitment and retention, and parent engagement in youth programs. We build grantees’ capacity in program evaluation methods and data reporting, as well as in youth program recruitment/retention and parent engagement.
HRiA’s work on this project includes:
- A random digit dial telephone survey to measure the prevalence of disconnected youth in the region
- A survey tool for funded programs to self-assess the characteristics of their programs
- Interviews and focus groups to understand program staff and participants’ perceptions of the program
- An online tool for programs to track progress toward achieving shared program outcomes across the eight sites
