Catalyst Resources

Find the DIY Resources you need!

Looking to do this work yourself? We’ve gathered some of our best resources, publications, tools, videos, tips, and more to support your needs. The Favorite Things section also highlights colleagues’ resources that we recommend. You can navigate through the library by category here.

Data Collection

EvalFest videos on collecting data from program participants. Tips on intercept surveys, informed consent, mystery shopping, and more.

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Data Management

EvalFest videos on database management and password protection, data cleaning and recoding, filtering, and pivot tables in Excel.

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Data Analysis

EvalFest videos on using Excel, SPSS, and R to conduct numerical and graphical exploratory data analysis, t-tests, chi squares and ANOVAs.

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Evaluation in Less than Five Minutes

Learn the fundamentals about how to use evaluation to find value across all stages of a project.

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Publications

 Our peer-reviewed papers on Science Festivals, Informal Learning, Science Communication, and more. Many are co-authored by clients and colleagues.

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Strategic Engagement Planning

Resources funded the Kavli Foundation and an NSF AISL award to help STEM research institutes develop strategic approaches to their public engagement.

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Favorite Things

Resources developed by our colleagues that we turn to the most including frameworks, tip sheets, videos, and more.

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Hear from Our Amazing Clients:

New Way of Strategic Thinking

I used your “what is your headline” exercise with our managing director yesterday – it stimulated an important and valuable conversation about mission, strategic planning and performance evaluation for staff and departments. It seemed to spark a new way of strategic thinking for her that I’d felt was missing (or at least not always top of mind). Thank you for giving me a new way to approach this conversation!

– Workshop participant

Building Capacity

Working with the Catalyst team is such an adventure! I have learned so much about the evaluation process, but also how we are able to stretch the boundaries of evaluation projects and build capacity within my team and our partners. From tech support on tools for our team, to interactive workshops, I am always appreciative of our work together. I especially appreciate how each member of the Catalyst team brings fun and unique knowledge about products, processes, or what it’s like to like on an isolated rock in the middle of the ocean.

– Kitty Edwards, Director, Division of Territorial Parks & Protected Areas USVI

Attentive Professionalism

I simply can’t say enough about the impact of Karen’s work, mind, care, and energy. She is always this tremendous mix of attentive professionalism and approachable human, and she always inspires me with her ability to go deeper on questions when people are ready while also honoring more straightforward questions about how to get things done.

– Ben Wiehe, Senior Manager, Experimental Practice, MIT Museum

Designed to Support Community Needs

The Catalyst team worked intimately with us to understand our unique and practical context in the field of land trust-based environmental education and stewardship while serving our larger outcome and impact needs. As we had hoped, the process resulted in a landmark Evaluation Toolkit, designed to support the needs of the land trust-based youth education community.

– Robert Jordan Wade, Principal Advisor Youth Educators Peer Network, Land Trust Alliance

Consider Customizing

Looking for something you didn’t find, or want us to create resources like this for a particular project? Let’s figure it out together!

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