Formal program assessment officially underway

Ewing, NJ -- Beyond Expectations has touched the lives of more than 4,000 families across the tri-state region and we want to better understand as well as document our impact. Through a formal assessment, quantitative and qualitative research will be conducted with students and parents who have participated in our programs.

Under the direction of Dr. He Len Chung, who will lead the design and implementation, a series of research questions were developed to focus on understanding the impact of participation on social, emotional, and psychological well being.

Dr. Chung has over 10 years of experience conducting research with vulnerable youth and families, including those involved with the foster care and juvenile justice systems, and will be responsible for obtaining consent, as well as conducting the research surveys and interviews. 

The research proposal has been approved by The College of New Jersey's Institutional Review Board to ensure that the process is ethically and scientifically sound, and adheres to protocols vetted by the National Institutes of Health and other related projects.   

A number of students and parents have already participated in the assessment which will continue into 2014.

TCNJ Bonner Center hosts Beyond Expectations

Ewing, NJ -- November is National Homeless Youth Awareness Month. It's an ideal opportunity for students from Beyond Expectations to work directly with students at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) to plan our 2014 film screening which will focus on the area of youth homelessness.

Students spent an entire day on the lovely Ewing campus which included an exciting, totally fun interactive scavenger hunt and a chance to participate on the crew of a simulated behind-the-scenes television segment with a representative from TCNJ Lions TV.

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The afternoon was spent working collaboratively on three planning teams for the upcoming screening: Advocacy, Promotions, and Merchandising which followed with presentations of their findings to the group. The day wrapped by viewing a series of film and television projects produced by Beyond Expectations students discussing the selection process for the upcoming screening.

The Community Engaged Learning Day was organized through our campus-community partnership with the TCNJ Bonner Center, under the guise of the Center's Director, Paula Figueroa-Vega. The Bonner Center prepares college students to be engaged citizens who will help solve problems in their own communities and to work with community partners to change their respective neighborhoods.

Special thanks to the phenomenal team of Bonner Scholars (John Brown, Kerry Farnum, Julia Livesey, and Edward Bannister-Holmes) who helped organize logistics for the exciting day.

A memorable weekend retreat...

Bridgewater, NJ -- We're rarely surprised but always pleased to cross paths with youth and help them uncover their hidden skills and talents. The same held true yet again during our Weekend Retreat in Bridgewater, New Jersey with a group of phenomenal young men (ages 18-21).

What is typically taught over a series of 5 sessions was condensed into an intensive training which spawned creativity and split-second decision making. After learning the basics of film production, the group worked collaboratively to develop a concept for their own original project, storyboard, shoot, act in all of the roles, and lay down a few tracks for post-production.

Special thanks to our awesome crew, guest facilitators, and volunteers from Comcast and The Princeton Theological Seminary. 

Beyond Expectations alumni on the move...

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Nicole Howard is one of the very first students to participate in Beyond Expectations programs. In our early years, she helped with planning of college fairs and campus tours and continues to return and work on several BE film, television projects, and charitable events. She earned her BA in Public Communications with a minor in Marketing from American University in Washington, D.C., graduating on the dean's list.

A writer, spoken word artist, and blogger, Nicole has added book reviews to her impressive resume -- the first of which has recently been published...

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"Back to Life" by Danielle Allen is available now on Amazon.com.