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.

Beyond Expectations awarded SCRA Community Mini-Grant

Beyond Expectations in partnership with The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) has been selected for a mini-grant provided by the Society for Community Research and Action (SCRA) to help support and catalyze small scale, time-sensitive community interventions, whether action or research based, that are consistent with the SCRA vision, mission, principles and goals. 

The award will be used to obtain new equipment and to organize a Community Screening to raise awareness of issues facing vulnerable youth. The project will be youth-driven by students who complete a 6-session production workshop with Beyond Expectations in camera operation, audio production, segment development, and events management. The event will be held in April 2014 as a lead in to National Foster Care Month.

Our collaborative media literacy and youth development project was selected from international applicants across the globe including other recipients from Brazil, Rwanda, Jamaica, and Cairo, Egypt. 

The Society for Community Research and Action - Community Psychology, Division 27 of the American Psychological Association -  is an international organization devoted to advancing theory, research, and social action. Its members are committed to promoting health and empowerment and to preventing problems in communities, groups, & individuals.