Skip to main content

Support, Training, and Evaluation of Programs

Dr. Jeanette Harder began her journey with STEPs in 2011, but has been a faculty member at UNO since 2004.

image

The STEPs' mission is to provide participatory, utilization-focused evaluation for organizations serving children, youth, and families in poverty. STEPs goals parallel UNO’s goals: to be student-centered, academically excellent, and community engaged.

"I had been teaching program evaluation and partnering with community organizations for a few years, but when the need grew, I felt compelled to meet that need. The vision for a program like STEPs came from Theresa Barron-McKeagney who was then the social work director and it only grew after hiring Emily Nguyen, then a graduate student in social work and public administration. It was Emily’s vision for us to be housed in the Weitz CEC that really moved us ahead." Emily is now working full time with the Omaha Community Foundation doing similar work to what she experienced with STEPs.

STEPs has grown at a rapid pace since its inception, currently operating with four full time professional staff, four graduate student workers, three UNO faculty affiliates through the College of Public Affairs and Community Service (CPACS), and many student and alumni contractors.

I love seeing them go into careers similar to their jobs at STEPs—many go on to doctoral programs and faculty positions.

 Jeanetter Harder, Ph.D.

UNO graduate students working with STEPs receive hands-on program evaluation and training skills. These opportunities extend into academic and professional experiences such as conference presentations, UNO awards and recognition, as well as training and evaluation experiences with community organizations. Dr. Harder takes great pride in seeing the graduate students who work for STEPs grow in their evaluation, writing, and conference presentation skills. These opportunities for growth help students develop well-rounded and impressive resumes, leading to great job opportunities after they graduate. Dr. Harder also enjoys helping faculty get the glimpse of what it is like to do community engaged evaluation.

STEPs provides community partners with an array of services, including process and outcome evaluation, needs assessments, social returns on investment, and data visualization. "We love being responsive to our community partners," says Harder. “Each contract is unique and we tailor services to each community partner’s needs.” Because of their capacity-building work, small nonprofits better understand data, giving them the ability to land grants that they would not otherwise get. "Through helping organizations achieve their missions, we hope to alleviate poverty."

Dr. Harder is extremely grateful for her research home at the UNO College of Public Affairs and Community Service (CPACS) Grace Abbott School of Social Work, and those who have encouraged her work along the way. "What a joy and privilege to be at UNO where community engagement is not only encouraged and supported, but a strategic goal."

Community engagement and service are fundamental components of UNO's identity. This commitment to engagement is reflected in UNO's academics, student body, partnerships, and institutional framework. Share your community engagement story or visit the campus commitment to community engagement initiative website.

To learn more about the Weitz CEC please like our Facebook.

Unless otherwise clearly stated, any views or opinions expressed as part of events at the Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center (Weitz CEC) should not be viewed as endorsements by the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) and do not reflect the official position of UNO or the University of Nebraska system. Please also be aware, the responsibility for any changes to events held at the Weitz CEC, including cancellation, lie solely with the event organizer and not UNO or the Weitz CEC.