Baseline Study to Measure the Impact of the Smithsonian AWHI’s Internship Program

Program Evaluation
Written By Cathy Sigmond

Client: American Women’s History Initiative | Location: Washington, DC

 
 

We developed a baseline study for evaluating the long-term impact of an internship program for future change makers passionate about elevating diverse women’s stories.

OVERVIEW

In 2021, we worked with the Smithsonian Institution’s American Women’s History Initiative (AWHI) to design and implement a baseline study that would measure the long-term impacts of the Because of Her Story (BOHS) internship program on participants. The program is a cross-Smithsonian initiative that matches interns with museum projects meant to amplify women's stories to tell a more complete American history, reach a diverse audience, and empower and inspire people from all walks of life.  

Together, we articulated clear and measurable mid- and long-term outcomes for internship alumni to be evaluated in the study and delivered baseline data that can serve as a guidepost for future programmatic changes.

APPROACH

We used a mixed-method approach to explore the impact of BOHS on interns: remote in-depth interviews, an online survey, and a longitudinal diary study. These methods provided a complementary balance of methods–quantitative data from surveys that can be easily accumulated and analyzed over time, rich qualitative data from interviews that provide detailed and nuanced responses, and longitudinal data from the diary study that show how intern alumni apply lessons and skills from their internship in their lives now.

CLIENT TAKEAWAYS

Unsurprisingly for a baseline study, we found that the internship is excelling at most of the mid-term outcomes but has room for growth in the long-term outcomes (which will continue to emerge as time passes for past interns). In particular, we found that the internship is preparing interns to be changemakers in their own communities and helping them amplify diverse women’s stories in their lives and work. However, the evaluation also revealed areas for growth–for example, helping intern alumni see themselves as mentors to future generations.

Based on conversation with AWHI staff about the results, we developed a Theory of Change that would illustrate links or gaps between program activities and desired mid- and long-term outcomes for interns.

Check out the full report here.

Cathy Sigmond

Cathy brings many years of experience in education and experience design to her role as Head of Strategy at Kera Collective. 

Having previously worked in a variety of educational settings, Cathy is driven by her constant fascination and delight at how people make discoveries about the familiar and the unfamiliar. 

Cathy loves helping to shape experiences that spark curiosity and make a difference in people’s lives. She particularly enjoys the rapid, iterative nature of design-based research and the deep insights that come from qualitative research, especially on projects exploring interactions with the digital and built environments. 

Cathy shares her passion for experience design research widely and regularly guest lectures for graduate programs, including the Fashion Institute of Technology’s Exhibition and Experience Design Program and the Pratt Institute’s School of Information. Cathy served as the co-chair of the Museum Computer Network’s Human-Centered Design special interest group from 2018-2021.

Outside of work, you can usually find Cathy playing soccer, thrifting, or making her way through her large cookbook collection. 

Cathy’s favorite museum experiences are immersive; she will always vividly remember walking through the giant heart at the Franklin Institute, being surrounded by birds at the Peabody Essex Museum, and hearing centuries-old instruments come to life at the Museum of Musical Instruments. 

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