PROGRAM EVALUATION AND DOCUMENTATION

Program Evaluation

Program evaluation means measuring the effectiveness of your program in meeting specific program objectives. Measures of changes in behavior, knowledge, awareness, or attitudes of those who participate in the program should be collected and reported. A description of evaluation methods and tools that will be used should be included in the proposal (25, 26). Young people, and perhaps teachers, parents, or other adults, in your program can be surveyed prior to and after completing the program and asked about behavior change. For example, if an expected outcome is increased consumption of whole grains, the evaluation tools and methods should measure whole grain consumption before and after the program.

Evaluation tools can also measure the participants' intent to change behavior rather than actual behavior change like whole grain consumption. For example, a post program survey could ask participants, “As a result of participating in this program, how likely are you to choose whole grain cereals?”. This is a measure of behavioral intent to change.

Excellent resources, sample methods, and questions to evaluate both nutrition and physical activity programs are included in the Resources section (link).

Program Evaluation and Documentation Requirements

Basic evaluation requirements
The goal of the General Mills Champions for Healthy Kids grants is to support innovative programs that help improve the eating and physical activity patterns of young people ages 2-18. In order to effectively support current and future grants, each grant recipient will be required to share information with General Mills Foundation before, during and after the grant period. Additional details about evaluation can be found in the Evaluation Expectations section of this website.

Documentation requirements
To document program activities and share experiences, each grant recipient is required to take photographs of program events. Professional photography is not expected. Pictures should be snapshots of young people participating in the program. Permission should be obtained, in writing, from those who are photographed. All photographs should be clearly labeled with organization and program name.

Summary
The need for improved nutrition and fitness among American youth is evident. Youth need optimal nutrition and fitness for growth and development during childhood and adolescence, as well as for their long-term health. The General Mills Champions for Healthy Kids grants seek to improve the quality of programs for young people throughout the country by emphasizing programs that are not only innovative but also are able to achieve changes in young people’s eating and physical activity patterns. The programs should be based on behavioral principles and creatively adapted to the target audience in your communities.