Program Evaluation

La Casa de Maria, Santa Barbara, CA

Capacitar believes that evaluation of workshops, facilitators, and program outcomes is important. It builds them into its work while recognizing, in the case of outcomes, that it is difficult to ascribe change in people's lives to only one type of intervention. Capacitar seeks researchers who would be willing to do a study of a Capacitar program.

Workshop Evaluation

Capacitar evaluates both the content and facilitation of its workshops. Participants give a written evaluation of the program, method and
content, as well as the effectiveness of the facilitator.

In workshops, where all participants are not able to write, those who are literate help others or the evaluation is done in small groups with oral feedback recorded by one member. Focus groups are used to get feedback and suggestions on the workshops and the materials. Data is recorded on numbers of participants, groups served and numbers of outreach workshops facilitated.

Active Evaluations Cincinnati Teachers/ Students: Click Here

Evaluation of Physical/Emotional/Personal Change:

Participants evaluate their own process, self-reporting on physical, mental, emotional and spiritual change and growth. In some workshops pre and post testing is used to determine the effectiveness and appropriateness of the practices taught and the impact of the practices on the quality of life of participants.

Doctoral Thesis Results

For her doctoral thesis in Multicultural Wellness Education, Capacitar Founder/Co-Director Pat Cane conducted research in Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua. The research measured the impact of the use of Capacitar practices on the physical and emotional symptoms of trauma for those who experienced political violence and the destruction of Hurricane Mitch. The research showed a self-reported significant decrease in the symptoms.

Survey

In the spring of 2002, Capacitar conducted a survey of participants in the four session in-depth Capacitar training in either Multicultural Wellness Education or Trauma Healing and Transformation.

Change in Rwandan Training Participants-2008

The following data comes from the Trauma Healing Trainings of 2007-2008 in Butare and Cyangugu, Rwanda. Participants included men and women from Rwanda (80%), Burundi (4%), Congo DRC (4%), other African countries (5%), and Europe (7%).

Change in Physical/Emotional Wellbeing:
Participants rated themselves on a scale of 0-10 measuring their state of physical and emotional wellbeing—when they first started training in February 2007 and when they finished the training in January 2008. Many reported that they no longer needed medication for their PTSD.

Butare: N=29 participants

Beginning of Training:
59% reported 4 or below on the Wellbeing measure. 0% reported over 7.
End of Training:
0% reported 4 or below. 100% 5 or above. 73% 8 or above.
45% reported from 1 to 3 point improvement in wellbeing.
55% reported more than a 3-point improvement in wellbeing.
100% reported some personal improvement in wellbeing during the year.

Cyangugu: N=23 participants

Beginning of Training:
66% reported 1 or below on the Wellbeing measure.
95% reported 3 or below.
0% reported over 5.
End of Training:
0% reported 4 or below. 100% 5 or greater. 71% reported 7 or 8.
65% reported a 6-point improvement in overall wellbeing.
90% reported a 4-point improvement in wellbeing during the year.