Did we really make a difference? Revisiting findings of personal, interpersonal, and institutional change.

Focusing on inclusive dialogue and long-term systems-level change, this evaluation study describes a mixed methods approach to gathering evidence of lasting transformation. The Coming Together for Racial Understanding initiative, created in response to the challenges around race and racism within Extension systems and connected communities, was evaluated using ripple effect mapping (REM) and subsequent surveys collected at two timepoints. REM was used to explore the individual experiences of team members to capture changes in their mental models leading to change in interpersonal, program, and outreach efforts, and how those changes led to emergent change in institutional practices and culture. These results were used to develop a survey to measure impact among all trainers. The survey was first administered in 2021, followed by its second iteration in 2024. Data from the two timepoints, collected during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, enabled researchers to evaluate if reported changes remained sustainable over time.

Anuradha Choudhary; Mary Emery; Grace Langford; Jian Ju Yeo