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| The contexts
in which learning can take place are boundless and certainly not limited
to the school classroom or the workplace. Everywhere we turn we are presented
with new opportunities for personal growth and development. For example, young
people learn about themselves, gain employability skills, and contribute to
their communities through volunteer or national service programs. Current
workers and professionals expand their horizons and gain additional
skills through interactions with others and developmental experiences held
off-site. Community-based organizations provide an ever-expanding
menu of services that bridge the worlds of work and school with
the community. And, as the number of older adults grows, it is increasingly
important to recognize them as a significant resource for others. Expanding
the educational, volunteer, and work opportunities for older adults
helps provide a stable supportive environment for all. NIWL works
with many agencies to provide the assistance people need as they transition
among education, training, careers, and productive aging. Current and
recent projects include: Coordination Services for the Grantmakers Evaluation Network (GEN). GEN helped foundation staff and trustees strengthen their ability to achieve desired outcomes by using evaluation to build a culture of critical thinking, informed decision-making, and continuous program improvement. Since its establishment in 1992, GEN has functioned as a volunteer organization, but its aspirations for advancing evaluation knowledge and practice have outgrew the capacity of its form of organization. GEN recently engaged in a strategic planning process that resulted in an ambitious, multi-year roadmap for fulfilling its mission. NIWL provided coordination support and services to GEN through the following activities: development of the 2001-2002 work plan; resource development plans and materials; collaboration with the Council on Foundations and other affinity groups; and facilitating implementation of the 2001-2002 work plan. The National Adult Literacy and Learning Disabilities Center (National ALLD Center). Funded in the Fall of 1993 by the National Institute for Literacy, the Center was a national resource for information exchange regarding learning disabilities and their impact on the provision of literacy services. The Center, in collaboration with the University of Kansas Institute for Research in Learning Disabilities, provided technical assistance in current best practices in learning disabilities to literacy providers and practitioners. In addition to sharing information, the Center built upon and refined knowledge about effective practices for serving adults with learning disabilities. Activities included creation of a National Information Exchange Network, development of Bridges to Practice, a tool kit for literacy practitioners, and training and technical assistance for literacy program practitioners who helped to identify and teach adults with learning disabilities. National Study of Retirees and Retirement Programs. NIWL completed a landmark study of older workers and the labor movement. The goal of the project was to help organized labor and other providers of retirement programs and services: 1) assist retirees and workers who will soon retire to plan their lives after retirement; 2) provide programs and services to enable retirees to lead more enjoyable and productive lives; 3) develop linkages among retirees, unions, and community organizations. The project had two major components: a national survey of approximately 12,000 retirees and a study of current union retirement and pre-retirement programs and services. The project findings provided information relevant to the needs of a wide variety of concerned groups, including: the AFL-CIO, national and international unions, local union affiliates, the National Council of Senior Citizens, providers of retirement and pre-retirement programs and services, policy-makers, retiree groups, and program developers. The final report of the study, in two volumes with executive summary, is titled Union Retirees: Enriching Their Lives, Enhancing Their Contribution. Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) Fellowship Program Evaluation. PPIA is designed to encourage culturally diverse young people to pursue graduate education and careers in public policy and international affairs. In 20 years of continuous operation, PPIA has offered Junior Institutes and Senior Options to promising college students and provided graduate fellowships to college graduates. These activities empower young students of color to become engaged in and contribute to public service. NIWL conducted a multi-pronged research agenda examining participation in PPIA and the outcomes that accrue to PPIA fellows. The study explored: the degree to which PPIA components were accessed by participants; the perceived quality of those components; the educational achievements of PPIA participants; and the career histories of PPIA participants. A two phase data collection process was employed, including a mail survey of 2,400 PPIA fellows and in-depth telephone interviews with 200 fellows. UAW-GM-Delphi Paid Educational Leave (PEL) Program. Working with dozens of speakers representing Congress, the Executive Branch and independent agencies, business and labor organizations, and public interest groups, NIWL serves as the coordinator of the Washington seminar for the UAW-GM-Delphi program. NIWL designs and implements this effort to improve worker and manager understanding of the U.S. governmental process and how that process affects the automobile industry. Issues explored during the week include international trade, health care reform, environmental concerns such as clean air, the federal role in labor-management relations, and the impact of lobbying on the governmental process. Since 1985, NIWL has conducted 92 PEL Washington programs for the United Auto Workers-General Motors Center for Human Resources. More than 2,500 union officials have attended these sessions, together with approximately 750 of their management counterparts. Youth Development Practitioner Apprenticeship Initiative Evaluation. Youth Development Practitioner Apprenticeship (YDPA) programs provide opportunities for youth workers to strengthen their professional competencies through structured learning and mentoring relationships, while building their credentials through a locally sponsored, federally recognized system. In partnership with the National Training Institute (NTI), NIWL is providing guidance and leadership on assessment and evaluation. The purpose of the evaluation component is to document grantees’ progress in establishing local YDPA models and to assess the efficacy of NTI’s technical assistance to grantees. In an expansion phase of this initiative, NIWL is designing a common local program evaluation, building from site leaders’ own plans. Activities include: designing and developing the evaluation plan and instruments; collecting, managing, and analyzing data; generating findings; providing technical assistance on data collection; and collaborating with sites on the design of a basic, systematic, and sustainable evaluation system. |
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