Community-Based & Culturally Centered Research

At REA, we are committed to evaluation approaches that center culture and support community empowerment, with the goal of achieving social justice for those who have been marginalized. We use holistic and community-centered frameworks giving particular focus to groups that have been systemically excluded and historically marginalized — using evaluation as a tool for social justice. At REA, we strive to provide program improvement through relationship building and participatory research approaches. Please explore selected examples of our community and culture-centered evaluation approaches.

We welcome the opportunity to discuss your project with you and provide you with information about our tailored approaches.

Selected Projects Include

  • Photo by Tobias Tullius on Unsplash

    Beyond Ice

    Beyond Ice is an NSF funded project aimed to amplify local community voices of four villages along the Yukon River Valley in Alaska by sharing their stories of resilience, challenges of living in drastically changing conditions and visioning of a future through this transition. Project partners include Alaska Pacific University, the Anchorage Museum and the University of Massachusetts. This grant supports the development of tangible frameworks aimed at telling stories through photography, sound, video, and documentary methods that examine, support, and empower multiple community members, elders, and especially young people. REA is serving as the external evaluator for this project, and will be working with indigenous researchers from APU to document and assess engagement and development models with the four villages.

  • Photo courtesy of AfroTech.

    Black Girls Code

    Black Girls Code (BGC) is an out-of-school program designed to provide girls of color opportunities to learn in-demand skills in technology and computer programming during a time when they are considering career paths. The goal of this program is twofold: To introduce programming and technology to a new generation of coders and to sustain this interest well into high school and college. Since 2012, REA has examined the impact of BGC’s Culturally-Relevant STEM programming that embraces the intersectionality of its students (culture, race/ethnicity/gender), sense of belonging for girls of color, short and long-term program impact, and career inspirations and pathways. We have utilized case study design, focus groups, interviews, and surveys to measure BGC’s impact.

    Report: Black Girls Code Final Report
  • Photo courtesy of Twin Cities Public Television.

    Twin Cities PBS: Skillsville

    Twin Cities PBS is developing Skillsville, a media-based program that aims to support children’s career exposure, executive function skills, and self-regulation strategies. This large-scale effort was one of two US Department of Education Ready to Learn grants awarded in 2020. REA is leading the research and evaluation activities that include a needs assessment with caregivers of five-to-eight-year-old children and informal educators, formative user testing of digital and paper-based activities and television episodes, and implementation studies, case studies, and efficacy studies of an afterschool children’s program and family program.

  • Photo by Ganapathy Kumar on Unsplash

    Water is Life

    Water is Life is a 5-year initiative funded by NSF’s Tribal Colleges and University Programs (TCUP) at Diné College, a four year HLC accredited tribal College located in Tsaile, Arizona. The goals of the project are to improve water security in the Navajo nation while building a strong research infrastructure at Diné College. This project is built on the necessity for Navajo Nation and Diné College researchers to get involved in more innovative projects focused on improving access to clean water for communities in Navajo Nation, while simultaneously providing opportunities for undergraduate and graduate student participation in the rigorous intellectual aspects of environmental research. REA’s mixed method evaluation features surveys and interviews with Water is Life faculty, participating students, and Diné College administrators.

  • Photo courtesy of ParentPowered.

    ParentPowered

    ParentPowered, a Public Benefit Corporation, runs a self titled program which aims to transform the way parents and caregivers engage with their children. The program uses direct text delivery to provide strengths-based parenting tips and activities designed to inspire and empower parents and caregivers. The tools are both accessible and family-centered. The mission of ParentPowered is “to create easy-to-use tools for great parenting to improve the lives of all children.” Utilizing culturally responsive qualitative and quantitative approaches, the evaluation led by REA, sought to understand Black parents’ experiences with the program, its impact on families, perceptions from school partners and industry leaders, and suggestions for improvement. Key findings revealed that parents appreciated the program’s quick tips and activities, which aligned with their busy lives and provided essential caregiving insights. They valued culturally relevant content and diverse family imagery. Parents reported feeling more supported and noticed improved literacy skills in their children.