How We Track Our Progress
Our team at Rainbow Connections is dedicated to providing mental health services and helping to create connections for LGBTQ+ children in rural communities. We track the program actively to make sure we’re effective and that our participants and stakeholders are satisfied.
Regular Feedback and Check-Ins
We collect feedback regularly to guide improvements, including:
Asking participants for their feedback after support groups and workshops
Holding open and honest discussions to learn what’s working and what we could improve
Tracking participant’s attendance and their participation
Holding team meetings to review our progress
Monitoring Progress and Summative Evaluation
Every three months, we analyze collected data to track our progress by:
Conducting community surveys to measure awareness and support for LGBTQ+ youth
Using pre-assessments and post-assessments to compare participants’ well-being before and after they are involved in the program
Summarizing our results to help guide our improvements
Inclusion and Fairness
Our evaluation prioritizes a multicultural and socially just lens by:
Offering easily available ways for community members and participants to provide feedback, including anonymous options
Using tools that respect diversity
Reviewing data often to make sure that all groups receive fair assistance
Including LGBTQ+ children and community members in the process of developing and changing the program
Connecting What We Learn to Our Goals
Rainbow Connections' goals of providing mental-health and advocacy services, developing peer support and community involvement, initiating outreach and advocacy, and holding affirming community events, are all directly supported by our evaluation approach. We develop the program in ways that address the needs of LGBTQ+ youth in rural communities by combining ongoing feedback with data collection and evaluation.