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Center for Applied Research in Human Development

The Center for Applied Research at the University of Connecticut is a joint venture between the Department of Human Development & Family Studies and the Cooperative Extension Extension System at the University of Connecticut. The purpose of the Center for Applied Research is to provide assistance to state and community-based agencies in the development, delivery, and evaluation of human service programs. This collaboration with state and community-based agencies is intended to facilitate the development of high quality program evaluations.
Faculty from Human Development & Family Studies and the Cooperative Extension System contribute multi-level consultation and expertise to the design, execution, and analysis of the various evaluation projects. The Center strives to create a supportive relationship with clients to offer assistance at every level of the program development and evaluation planning. Technical assistance is provided by graduate students and faculty. Services provided by the Center include:

  • Consulting with human service programs to offer advice on research methods and the selection of appropriate evaluation instruments for projects
  • Contracting to perform data analysis for community agencies and programs
  • Conducting focus groups to help programs plan appropriate programming or evaluations
  • Providing technical and assessment support during the evaluation process
  • Developing and disseminating newsletters
  • Offering opportunities for graduate students to learn about the research and publication process under the mentorship and guidance of experts in the field of human development, family studies, and applied research.

Helpful Links

  • Connecticut for Community Youth Development (CCYD)
  • Cornell University, Cooperative Extension, Parenting Initiative, Evaluation
  • University of Arizona, Cooperative Extension, Evaluation Planning
  • Child Trends, Research Tools to Improve Youth Development
  • National Resilience Resource Center
  • Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development
  • Harvard Family Research Project
  • Evaluating the National Outcomes
  • United Way, Outcome Measurement Resource Network
  • Children, Youth and Families Education and Research Network
  • The Edna McConnell Clark Foundation