Adapting the Teaching of Monitoring and Evaluation to Enhance the Inclusion of Diverse Partners, Undergraduate Students and Dual Degree Candidates

In VTPMD 6183: Public Health Practice – Monitoring & Evaluation, small groups of students work collaboratively with a community partner to design a monitoring and evaluation plan for a particular program, intervention or policy change. The combination of small, motivated student groups working together with strong community partners leads to responsive and rigorous plans, but there’s room to grow. As a Faculty Fellow in Engaged Learning, Hanson is revisiting the course syllabus and projects to better include a wider array of community partners and students, while maintaining the strengths of the class.

“Community-engaged practice is an on-going learning experience in which everyone involved — students, faculty and community members — learns and grows through collaboration and progress toward shared goals. I have naturally gravitated toward engaged learning all my life. As an undergraduate student, I technically majored in economics and sociology, but I effectively majored in ‘internship’ and ‘applied research.’ As a teacher, I strive to equip students with skills and provide real-world situations in which they can use their skills in collaboration with real-world partners.” —Karla Hanson