Program Evaluation

The Minnesota Historical Society continues to build a culture of evaluation. An evaluation coordinator provides technical assistance and support to staff who evaluate ACHF projects and programs. An institutional Evaluation Action Team, along with consultation from Wilder Research, helps provide strategy and direction for evaluation capacity-building efforts. Interns from the Minnesota Evaluation Studies Institute at the University of Minnesota also support evaluation efforts that may include logic model design, evaluation planning, instrument design and data analysis and reporting. One important highlight in 2013 was the development and implementation of a standard school field trip survey across 15 MNHS sites and museums. This evaluation was part of a larger initiative to improve services to 21st century learners and their teachers. Field trips are the single largest point of contact between MNHS and K-12 students and teachers, with nearly 250,000 served annually.