Salon 2
Women Forward Chicago: A case study in program evaluation for Latina populations (303255)
*Angela Fontes, NORC at the University of ChicagoCarmen Landecho, Northwest Side Housing Center
James Rudyk, Northwest Side Housing Center
Nancy Valentin, Northwest Side Housing Center
Ilana Ventura, NORC at the University of Chicago
Keywords: Program evaluation, Latina, Women, measurement, data collection
The Women Forward Chicago program is a financial empowerment program for Latina women developed and facilitated by the Northwest Side Housing Center in the Belmont-Cragin neighborhood of Chicago. As a new program for the Center, rapid-cycle program evaluation was a critical component of the program. Additionally, gender and culturally appropriate metrics and data collection methods were important in understanding the successes and opportunities of the program. This paper will outline the process of developing a gender and culturally appropriate program evaluation, as well as identify how the program evaluation contributed to the success of the program. Finally, we will discuss the challenges encountered and how they were addressed by the project team. This research may serve as a guide for future teams seeking to develop program evaluations for specific populations.