Inspired to Serve: Year 2 External Evaluation Report

Inspired to Serve is a 3-year pilot project of the Search Institute and IFYC that is funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service. The goal of the project, which began in 2006, is to enhance the capacity of America's 350,000 churches, mosques, synagogues, temples, and other faith-based organizations to engage young people in effective service-learning that increases interfaith cooperation contributes to healthy development, and enriches community life. The project combines the Interfaith Youth Core's model of interfaith service-learning with the Search Institute's framework of Developmental Assets and its asset-based approach to community and social change. Four pilot cities are participating: Chicago, Illinois; New Orleans, Louisiana; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and St. Paul, Minnesota. RMC Research staff reviewed program materials, the evaluation design, and instruments used for data collection, and offered suggestions for revisions. They also conducted site visits in Philadelphia and Chicago where staff interviewed student and adult participants about their impressions of the program and its impacts. RMC Research reviewed the findings from an internal evaluation report from the Search Institute and IFYC and compared them to site visit findings. This report presents the external evaluation questions that were addressed and the methodologies used to collect external evaluation data. A description of the methodologies is presented first, followed by a decision of findings from the site visits, analysis of site implementation reports, and comparison of the internal and external evaluation findings. In the final section, conclusions and recommendations are provided. (authors)