Make the Road NY Program Evaluation

Overview

Make the Road New York is a nonprofit that advocates for immigrant and working-class communities across New York. I collaborated with MRNY and Professor Debbie Becher to lead community-centered research focused on uncovering residents' priorities, evaluating their satisfaction with MRNY, and understanding what leads folks to become organziers at MRNY. I conducted focus groups and devleoped a survey that would answer those questions. I trained students in qualitative analysis and guided them through analyzing interview and survey results.

My Role

• Created and developed the survey instrument, designing questions and methodologies to center community needs and voices.
• Facilitated focus groups to test and refine the survey, ensuring clarity, accessibility, and cultural responsiveness.
• Trained and supervised a team of student researchers, equipping them with the skills to conduct data entry, cleaning, and analysis using Excel and Nvivo.
• Guided students in synthesizing key findings into clear, actionable data summaries to support MRNY’s advocacy campaigns.

My Approach

To ensure the research was responsive and impactful:

• I designed student training sessions that focused on accuracy, ethics, and the importance of community-based research.
• I structured the Excel analysis workflow to streamline data processing while maintaining rigor.
• I worked closely with Barnard faculty and MRNY staff to align final data summaries with ongoing advocacy priorities.
• Visualization: Built clear, accessible maps and charts highlighting gaps in access and opportunities for improvement.

Data Sources

• MRNY Participant Interviews and Surveys

Tools and Technologies