Youth Program Evaluations
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Youth Evaluations 2021
During FY21, Wilderness Inquiry participated in a program evaluation project with the Center for Applied Research in Educational Improvement with the University of Minnesota* to evaluate the outcomes of programming with youth through a six-week summer program with Great Minnesota Schools. Results of the evaluation show that:
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79% of program staff agreed that students “strengthened their social-emotional learning skills” through participation in Wilderness Inquiry programming.
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By the end of the program, youth participants increased their level of agreement with the following statements:
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I can be successful when I try something scary.
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I am interested in jobs where I would work in nature.
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*(Potter, L., Larson, M. (2021). Evaluation of Wilderness Inquiry’s Urban Wilderness Explorers Program: September 2021. Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement, College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota.)
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Program survey feedback about virtual Mississippi River Explorers in FY21:
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85% of participants agree they are more interested in helping the environment after participating in the program
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78% of participants agree they want to spend more time outside after participating in the program
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57% of participants agree they are more interested in jobs where they work in nature or the outdoors
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Program survey feedback from youth participants about virtual Freshwater Quest in FY21:
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74% of participants agree they are more interested in helping the environment after participating in the program
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80% of participants agree they want to spend more time outside after participating in the program
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51% of participants agree they are more interested in jobs where they work in nature or the outdoors
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To learn more about Wilderness Inquiry’s Virtual Explorers opportunities for Minnesota youth, visit our website here.
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Minnesota Floating Classrooms: Evaluation 2019
Jane Fields – PhD, Clare Halloran – EdM, Annie Jenkin – MA, Joe Schantz – BA
Since 2010, Wilderness Inquiry has worked with the University of Minnesota Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement (CAREI) to evaluate the success of our programs. In 2019 Wilderness Inquiry collected feedback from youth participants via post-event surveys following one-day and overnight extended Canoemobile events. CAREI analyzed this feedback and evaluated Canoemobile on its ability to develop youth across these areas; persistence, environmental stewardship, and interest in future science / careers.This evaluation is a continuation of the 2018 examination into the effectiveness of our floating classroom, or Canoemobile, programs. Overall results showed statistically significant increases across all metrics following a Canoemobile event. Specifically, participants reported having an increased awareness of their role in taking care of the environment and a greater interest in, and knowledge about, careers related to science and nature.
Funding for this project and evaluation was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR).
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Minnesota Floating Classrooms: Evaluation 2018
Danielle Dupuis, Clare Halloran, & Jane Fields
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Canoemobile MN (Formally UWCA): Evaluation 2016
Timothy D. Sheldon, Aly Schultz, Julia Baker, & Jane Fields
- 92% agreed that contributing to their community was important;
- 91% agreed that they learned new skills;
- 88% indicated they were more interested in protecting the environment;
- 87% had a stronger connection to nature;
- 81% were more aware of their personal strengths; and
- 76% learned about outdoor jobs.
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Urban Wilderness Canoe Adventures: Evaluation Brief 2015
Timothy D. Sheldon, Elyse Farnsworth, & Jason Johnson
This Evaluation Brief looks across the data collected during the past five years to more fully understand the impact Urban Wilderness Canoe Adventures has had on participants.
This Evaluation Brief answers four important research questions:
- Do group differences (e.g., gender, culture, or previous outdoor experience) correlate with participants’ connection to others, ability to contribute to others and society, feelings of competence, and environmental awareness?
- Do characteristics of trip leaders (e.g., if they are fun and/or friendly) correlate with participants’ connection to others, ability to contribute to others and society, feelings of competence, and environmental awareness?
- Does preparation and instruction before the trip correlate with participants’ connection to others, ability to contribute to others and society, feelings of competence, and environmental awareness?
- Does interest in science and valuing of nature correlate with participants’ environmental awareness?
Sheldon, T.D., Farnsworth, E., Johnson, J. (2015) Urban Wilderness Canoe Adventures: Evaluation Brief September 2015. Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN. PDF Download
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Urban Wilderness Canoe Adventures Program: Brief Evaluation Report 2014
Timothy D. Sheldon, Julia Baker, Elyse Farnsworth, & Claire Harty
This brief evaluation report summarizes the findings of a preliminary analysis of the data collected from Minneapolis Public Schools middle school students who participated in the Urban Wilderness Canoe Adventures program during summer 2014. It also summarizes the responses of teachers who accompanied youth on those field trips. These are preliminary findings only. A more comprehensive analysis of these data will be presented later in the year.
Sheldon, T.D., Baker, J., Farnsworth, E., Harty, C. (2014) Urban Wilderness Canoe Adventures Program: Brief Evaluation Report 2014. Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN. PDF Download
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Connection, Competence, and Contribution: New Outcome Measures for Assessing Outdoor Program Impact on Urban Youth
Timothy D. Sheldon & Elyse Farnsworth
This paper describes a study that examined the impact of outdoor programming on urban youth. Data were collected from more than 700 fifth through eighth graders and 23 teachers who participated in the Urban Wilderness Canoe Adventures Mississippi River trip during the Minneapolis Public Schools’ summer program. Researchers used student pre-/post-trip surveys and post-trip teacher surveys to assess the impact of the canoe trip on participants’ attitudes and perceptions about the environment, engagement in learning, and connections to others. We argue studying non-cognitive competencies yields more information about the impact of outdoor programming on young people than depending solely on academic outcome measures.
Sheldon, T.D. & Farnsworth, E. (2013) Connection, Competence, and Contribution: New Outcome Measures for Assessing Outdoor Program Impact on Urban Youth. Paper delivered at Mid-Western Educational Research Association (MWERA), Evanston, IL. PDF Download
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Urban Wilderness Canoe Adventures Evaluation: 2012 Summary of Findings
Timothy D. Sheldon & Martha Daugherty
Researchers from the University of Minnesota’s Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement (CAREI) have collaborated with Wilderness Inquiry and its partners since spring 2010 to evaluate the Urban Wilderness Canoe Adventures program. CAREI evaluators collected data from an array of sources in 2012. We reviewed more than 50 peer‐reviewed journal articles, conducted in‐depth interviews with young adults with long term involvement, and analyzed the responses of more than 1,100 students, teachers, and youth leaders to prepare this report.
Sheldon, T.D. & Daugherty, M. (2012) Urban Wilderness Canoe Adventures Evaluation: 2012 Summary of Findings. Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN. PDF Download
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Urban Wilderness Canoe Adventures Evaluation: 2010 Summary of Findings
Timothy D. Sheldon
The University of Minnesota’s Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement (CAREI) was contracted by staff of Wilderness Inquiry and the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area to conduct an evaluation of the second year of the Urban Wilderness Canoe Adventures (UWCA) program with the Minneapolis Public Schools. The purpose of this report is to present the initial findings from this second year of the UWCA Mississippi River field trip experience. In this report, we discuss the evaluation approach and data sources. In later sections, we provide our findings, conclusions, and considerations. We provide supporting materials and the instruments used in the evaluation in the Report’s Appendix.
Sheldon, T.D. (2010) Urban Wilderness Canoe Adventures Evaluation: 2010 Summary of Findings. Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN. PDF Download