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Summary
Since 2000, Long Beach BLAST has placed more than 2,500
service learning college student mentors with K -12 students
at risk of academic failure. Some mentors provide one-on-one
tutoring and homework assistance. Others offer rich lessons
in technology, science, and the arts. Service learners
function as role models, opening the doors to the
possibility of higher education and careers.
With 200 to 350 service learners in the field at a time and
just three staff members, BLAST found it extraordinarily
challenging to stay on top of mentors’ successes, goals and
challenges, provide mentors with support, and also collect
the necessary data to measure impact and prove to funders
that the organization deserves additional funding. It’s one
thing to have 350 mentors complete a paper-based activities
log each week. It’s another to find a way to quickly
compile, analyze and act on the data in those logs and other
evaluation-related forms.
About the Action Study & Inventory
Taking regular stock of its own monitoring, evaluation,
support and communication efforts has helped BLAST to
continually improve the administration of its programs.
Among other outcomes, the process lead BLAST to harness the
America Learns Network. Given BLAST and America Learns’
passion for doing whatever it takes to ensure that children
served by OST programs receive superior support, we decided
to document BLAST’s own evolution in the form of an action
study and inventory that other organizations could learn
from and use.
The
Action Study & Inventory is brutally honest,
detailing the specific challenges BLAST faced early on and
noting how it addressed and continues to address them. The
Inventory is also very flexible, giving you the
ability to customize what you take stock of in the end.
Download the Action Study & Inventory.
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