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In Brief
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GRG recently completed an evaluation of the Metropolitan Opera's HD Live in Schools program for the 2013-14 season. Our evaluation had extremely positive results, finding that students were engaged and excited about opera following the program.
We also recently finished a 4-year project with our clients at the Center for Aquatic Sciences at Adventure Aquarium. The Communities of Learning for Urban Environments and Science (CLUES) program has had a lasting impact in creating and sustaining strong partnerships among museums and community-based organizations (CBOs) and generated important research for best practices for museum and CBO partnerships.
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Be a part of GRG's research!
GRG is currently inviting participants to join their research database. As part of this database, you will be given the opportunity to participate in some of our most interesting research studies on a variety of topics.
Most projects provide monetary compensation for participants' time and effort. The amount of the compensation depends on the particular project.
To join the panel, please complete a short five-minute online form at http://www.cvent.com/d/qcqrc3
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Want to learn more? Check us out online!
Contact us at: info@grginc.com
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Editor Courteney Smith
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| Spotlight on New Projects |
 We're starting several new projects this fall at GRG, including some exciting new work with former clients.
The Schwartz Center for Compassionate Care commissioned GRG to conduct a pilot evaluation of their Schwartz Center Rounds, a highly respected program designed to give healthcare providers a regularly scheduled time to come together and openly discuss social and emotional issues that arise when caring for patients. GRG's first evaluation of the Schwartz Center Rounds focused on collecting data from Rounds participants (doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals). Our current pilot evaluation will include collecting data from patients themselves, to see how the Rounds translate directly to patient experiences.
We are also working closely with the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (Mass MoCA) to develop and pilot instruments for four upcoming art exhibits in their KidSpace Gallery about empathy, hope, courage, and problem solving. They plan to feature one exhibit each year and will use the instruments to more effectively engage children and their families in art.
GRG is also conducting evaluations of The HistoryMakers Digital Archive project, which was funded by the PwC Foundation. As part of the project, The HistoryMakers will transcribe and process 2,000 interviews that are not yet accessible to the public via The HistoryMakers Digital Archive. The goal is to increase access for students and teachers in public and charter schools to the resources and lesson plans afforded through these primary source materials. GRG will conduct a case study with three phases of external evaluation intended to assess the effectiveness of the fully populated Digital Archive (i.e., containing full transcripts of all interviews).
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A Message from the President
During 2014, Goodman Research Group, Inc. has been celebrating 25 years in business. It's hard to believe that so much time has passed, as I remember all too well starting out in 1989 with three clients and working in my small home office. Fast forward 25 years, and we've now conducted well over 350 evaluations and other research projects, moved 3 times, had over 50 employees at one time or another, and (amazingly) employees # 1, 2, 5, and 10 are still on staff. I feel deep satisfaction that we have been able to help launch or advance the careers of a number of talented professionals, in addition to having a fantastic roster of clients.
 In September, we formally celebrated our anniversary with an open house, attended by nearly 50 people. It was great to see current and former clients, consultants, FOGs (friends of GRG), and former employees who came to celebrate with our current staff. At the party, we had a timeline with key GRG milestones from the past 25 years, and each guest was asked to post a note next to the year she or he first connected with GRG. A number of guests posted to the left of the timeline, since I knew them prior to 1989, a testament to the enduring power of social networks. When we baby boomers started networking back then for professional and academic advancement, the ingredients were pens, Rolodexes, Franklin organizers, typewriters, and telephones. Decades later, Millennials have transformed the concept into social media. The hand-drawn "GRG Tree of Business Development" that I started on a poster board in my office a number of years ago can now be appreciated as a rudimentary social network diagram. A lot of knowledge has been transmitted through those connections. Word of mouth (and repeat business) has been our best advertising. Today, social networking is considered a science, with mathematical equations that allow analyses of interactions. Not coincidentally, we now use social network analysis in our research, for instance, in evaluations of an interdisciplinary graduate school fellowship, of instructional supports in schools, and of collaborations within a partnership of education institutions. Who knew? And who knows what the next big idea will be? Communication that's always on, not needing posting or dialing? 3-D hologram Skyping? Whatever it is, GRG will continue to adapt new technologies for both expanding and maintaining our client base, and for delivering state-of-the-art evaluations.
Cheers,
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GRG Finishes Evaluation of "Pushing the Limits"
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 GRG recently completed our evaluation of the "Pushing the Limits": Making Sense of Science (PTL) program.
The Program
PTL is an NSF-funded program that is designed to increase the ability of library professionals to provide science- and math-themed programming for adult learners in their libraries. The program was targeted towards rural and small libraries, many of which would not have had the resources or the personnel to develop such programming on their own.
PTL provided librarians with professional development resources (including videos and workshops), technical assistance, access to specially produced videos with relevant science-content, and additional funding to increase circulations materials, purchase refreshments, etc. Library professionals worked with a local science partner (usually experts in their field and as diverse as biologists, criminologists, and park rangers) to facilitate discussions, which were sparked by science-themed books.
Read more
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| Evaluation Takes GRGers Across the Country | | |
GRGers are headed all across the country (and some just across the city) this fall with project work.
Irene attended the National Scholarship Providers Association's annual conference in Pittsburgh in October. She presented with our client, The Ford Family Foundation, about our evaluation of TFFF's Opportunity and ReStart Scholarships for non-traditional students, as well as facilitating a workshop on program evaluation.
Elizabeth and Danielle are off to Philadelphia next month for the Climate and Urban Systems Partnership (CUSP) Annual Meeting. Karen will also be in Philly that week for Neuroscience in Your World: A Partnership for Neuroscience Education Across the K-12 Spectrum. Elizabeth's back on the road again the following week, to New York City, along with Emma, where they will attend the Polar Learning and Responding Climate Change Education Partnership (PoLAR) Annual Meeting.
Danielle will also travel to Washington, DC later this year, for The HistoryMakers Digital Archive project, which features interviews with African American history makers - leaders, scientists, artists, and others who changed history - at no cost for teachers.
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Thank you for reading our newsletter! For more information about our exciting work, check out our website,
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