Farm to School Evaluation Toolkit and Training

The Farm to School Evaluation Toolkit

The Farm to School Evaluation Toolkit, created by the Colorado Farm to School Task Force and Spark Policy Institute, is a resource to help farm to school programs of all sizes, in all states, undertake evaluation. Evaluation can serve many purposes for farm to school programs, including enabling implementers to demonstrate program success or progress. Evaluation information collected allows users to better communicate program impact to funders, parents, school leadership, and other stakeholders. Evaluation can be a tool to recruit new funders. It can also be useful for program improvement.

The FTS Evaluation Toolkit provides simple, straightforward information about how to design and implement evaluations of school gardens and other farm to school activities. In a succinct ten pages, the FTS Evaluation Toolkit Guide walks users through each step of the evaluation process, including how to prepare for an evaluation, identify outcomes, select and adapt measurement tools, complete an evaluation plan, implement an evaluation plan, and use evaluation results.

The Farm to School Evaluation Toolkit Webinar Training Series

The FTS Evaluation Toolkit Webinar Training Series is a free five-week webinar training series that guides participants through the evaluation process and provides them with knowledge and tools to implement evaluations of FTS programs. Each webinar runs for one hour and covers a specific evaluation topic, including Toolkit Overview and Evaluation Plan Design; Outcomes, Indicators, and Measures; Choosing and Adapting Tools; Collecting and Analyzing Data; and Reporting Evaluation Results. Upon completion of the webinar series, participants will have a better understanding of the evaluation process, the resources needed to undertake an evaluation, and access to tools to implement an evaluation. 

Benefits of attending the live series include:

• Eligible for five contact hours of continuing education credits
• Participation in the FTS Evaluation Toolkit Google Group for peer-to-peer learning
• Up to four hours of free technical assistance to plan/implement your FTS evaluation
• Ability to interact with trainers and participants on the webinar

Sign up for the Winter/Spring 2015 series today!  

If you missed the live series or cannot attend it, you can view the trainings in the archives on the Colorado Farm to School website.