101: A Power-building Partnership with Pao Arts Center: A Power-building Partnership with Pao Arts Center

Join Data+Soul Research as we discuss how our partnership with Pao Arts Center (an organization that provides culturally-specific arts programming to Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in Boston) created culturally-relevant data collection tools, engaged in team-wide evaluation capacity building, and helped Pao Arts Center staff take the lead during parts of the data analysis, interpretation, and reporting processes. We will share reflections from Pao Arts Center staff on their experience with shared leadership before opening the floor for discussion centered around the question:

“What changes can you make in your evaluation practices to not just include, but be led by community members throughout your evaluation?”

Attendees will be encouraged to think about the structure of an evaluation project; consider the ways in which power, leadership, and responsibilities are shared; and think of actionable steps that could be taken to shift power towards the community they partner with.

Yolanda Yang – Arts Engagement Manager, Pao Arts Center; Evan Kuras – Evaluation Consultant, Data+Soul Research