Ongoing Evaluations

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In support of the White House-led Women’s Global Development and Prosperity (W-GDP) Initiative, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) established the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) program in 2019. AWE provides women entrepreneurs with the skills, resources, and networks needed to start and scale successful businesses. During its inaugural year, more than 2,000 women across 24 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, as well as Spain and Papua New Guinea, graduated from the AWE program. As a result of its first-year success, AWE is expanding in 2020 to more than 50 countries worldwide to reach more women and maximize impact. The purpose of this evaluation is to determine how successful AWE is in meeting program aims by assessing and identifying: (1) the impact of AWE on program alumnae and their businesses, (2) if and how AWE furthers networks between participants and other ECA alumni, and (3) best practices and lessons learned for future cohorts of the program.

TechWomen empowers, connects and supports the next generation of women leaders in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) from Africa, Central and South Asia, and the Middle East by providing them the access and opportunity needed to advance their careers, pursue their dreams, and inspire women and girls in their communities. Since 2011, more than 700 women from Algeria, Cameroon, Egypt, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kenya, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Palestinian Territories, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Tunisia, Uzbekistan, Yemen and Zimbabwe have participated in TechWomen. The purpose of this evaluation is to determine the strength and sustainability of professional networks created by the program and the extent to which these networks have been leveraged for collaborations between Alumnae to enact change. The evaluation will be completed by May 2021 to incorporate lessons for the launch of the second decade of TechWomen.

The TechGirls Program is a four-week international summer exchange program that is based in the Washington D.C. area and is designed to empower and inspire young women from the Middle East, North Africa (MENA), Central Asia Region (CAR), and the United States to pursue higher education and careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields through hands-on skills development training with American technologists. Since 2012, TechGirls has trained and mentored teenage girls (ages 15-17) from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestinian Territories, Tunisia, Yemen, and the United States. The purpose of the evaluation is to determine how successful TechGirls is in meeting program aims and will explore the outcomes of MENA region alumnae. This evaluation will also assess the strength and sustainability of professional and educational networks created by the program, the extent these networks have been leveraged for collaborations to enact change, and the impact of the program on educational trajectories and professions. This evaluation will cover 2012-2019 alumnae cohorts from the MENA region, totaling 239 alumnae (Expected completion: June 2021).

American Spaces are inviting, open-access learning and gathering places around the world that promote interaction among local communities and the United States in support of U.S. foreign policy. Today, there are approximately 640 American Spaces around the world, which have been visited by 68 million people. American Spaces provide cultural and educational programming and services in accordance with a set of standards. The purpose of this evaluation is to determine how successful the American Spaces Program is in meeting Program aims and contributing to core programming areas, identifying best practices, and developing metrics and reporting mechanisms for continuous evaluation and program improvement that can be easily implemented by Office of American Spaces stakeholders worldwide. The evaluation will examine 18 American Spaces in 12 countries.

The Career Connections program is managed by ECA’s Office of Alumni Affairs.  Begun in 2019, the Career Connections program brings together American alumni (18-35 years old) of U.S. Government-sponsored exchange programs with expert career coaches, professionals from diverse fields, and international leaders to help alumni market their international exchange experiences.  Delivered as two-day seminars across the country, the Career Connections program provides invaluable networking opportunities for U.S. alumni with leaders in their communities through activities such as: resume-building, developing a personal brand, translating skills gained through the exchange experience, developing an online presence, and networking to develop connections with fellow alumni and expert speakers alike.  The purpose of the evaluation is to inform the next iteration of the award with participant-driven recommendations on how to strengthen the Career Connections program.

The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) is a scholarship program jointly funded and administered by the governments of the United States and Germany.  CBYX provides year-long academic, homestay, and community service opportunities for American and German high school students, vocational school graduates, and young professionals. The program is designed to strengthen ties between youth, improve their career skills through formal study and work experience, and expand their perspectives and awareness of culture, society, history and politics.  The purpose of this evaluation is to assess short- and long-term outcomes for American CBYX participants, and the effect of the program on American communities which hosted German participants.