Allison Shurilla, MPP’s Post

We just received word that our panel “What Does it Mean to Include Latino/a/e/x Voice in Evaluation?” for the American Evaluation Association conference this year was not only accepted but is being considered for the presidential strand! This means that our discussion would not only be featured, but recorded and shared more broadly with the AEA community. 🎉 I’m super excited to be a part of this panel with Gabriela Garcia, Emely M., Alisha Garcia Flores, and Wanda Casillas, Ph.D. as discussant. The U.S. #Latinx/Hispanic population accounts for 19% of the total U.S. population and is the largest and fastest growing racial/ethnic group in the U.S. Between 2010 and 2021, Latinx/Hispanic accounted for 52% in the increase of the U.S. population- greater than any other racial/ethnic group (Manuel Krogstad, Passel, & Noe-Bustamante, 2022). If we, as #evaluators, are striving to conduct #culturallycompetent evaluations that are grounded in our American Evaluation Association Guiding Principles, then we need to intentionally share with one another how we’re engaging the Latino/a/e/x population within our evaluation work, building capacity in Latino/a/e/x communities, and leveraging #evaluation as a tool for social betterment in these communities. Whether folks identify as Latino/a/e/x or are non-Latino/a/e/x individuals working with the community, we hope the discussion will not only give some tangible information to take away but food for thought as we reflect on our work. What questions would you have for us?