Our Evaluation Approach
Overview
The overall goal of the Positive Tracks Challenges Program is to produce powerful and measurable face-to-face, heart-to-heart interaction, increased physical activity, a deeper sense of social connection and belonging, and the belief that young people can make a difference, starting with themselves and in their communities. As a result, we’ve seen awesome outcomes on Positive Tracks Captains’ physical and mental health – and amazing impact on the hundreds of causes Positive Tracks Captains are addressing through Positive Tracks Challenges.
We Measure Our Impact
Positive Tracks is dedicated to continuously assessing the effectiveness of our programs by measuring their impact and learning outcomes. We focus on three key areas: Character Development, Connection, and Action to evaluate the qualitative benefits.
A two-year independent evaluation, led by Dr. Kathy Babiak and Alisha Greenberg—co-director of the Sports Impact Leadership Certificate at Johns Hopkins and Director of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Sports Award—validated that Positive Tracks programs are “a highly effective vehicle for youth development.” The evaluation highlighted our success in cultivating essential character traits like empathy, self-efficacy, urgency, and healthy risk-taking, as well as promoting sustainable habits in fitness, volunteerism, and civic engagement. Additionally, the programs were praised for fostering practical skills such as team-building, public speaking, goal setting, and event planning.
Feedback from our Challenge Captains underscores the program’s effectiveness and impact:
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agreed or strongly agreed that they are more confident in their leadership abilities.
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agreed or strongly agreed that they can motivate others to participate in social change.
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agreed or strongly agreed that Positive Tracks gave them the resources and support needed to take action.
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report experiencing positive impact in areas connected to mental health.
More Impact
To further gauge our impact, Positive Tracks conducts pre- and post-surveys for each Challenge, achieving a 97% response rate. These surveys collect data on youth engagement and the development of social, emotional, and leadership skills, including their perceptions of impact and leadership. Annually, we aggregate this data and analyze quantitative metrics such as the number of participants, diversity across race, gender, and age, types of causes supported, funds raised, miles of physical activity logged, and geographic reach.
In post-Challenge reflection surveys, participants consistently report that Positive Tracks programs boost their confidence and leadership abilities, foster connections among peers and communities, and equip them with the tools to drive meaningful change.