Celebrating C3’s Creativity: Stakeholder Engagement in Evaluation of the Chicago Conservation Corps

Abstract

The Chicago Conservation Corps (C3) recruits, trains, and supports a network of volunteers interested in leading sustainable community-based service projects. This project served as a developmental evaluation of the program, utilizing community-based participatory action research as a methodology. Collaboratively, C3 volunteers, partners, and staff decided to conduct a participatory media project, collecting feedback from a wide range of program stakeholders to address the question of C3’s greatest successes and areas for improvement. More than 100 stakeholders submitted feedback through videos, photos, stories, poems, and other creative outlets. Several co-researchers were then engaged in analyzing these submissions to find themes and stories that have since guided the implementation of the program. This study found that C3 successfully builds diverse, expansive networks and educates people regarding pro-environmental behaviors, empowering people to build and maintain sustainable communities. It also serves as an example of community engagement in program evaluation.