Home > All Categories > Blog > AAPD Summer Internship Program Long-Term Evaluation

AAPD Summer Internship Program Long-Term Evaluation

by | Feb 24, 2022 | Blog

Please Participate in the Long-Term Evaluation of the AAPD Summer Internship Program 

In Summer 2022, the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) is excited to celebrate 20 years of the Summer Internship Program. It began in 2002 as a transformative opportunity to bring young people with disabilities across the country to Washington, DC to work in Congressional offices. Throughout the 20 years, AAPD has placed nearly 400 alumni in Congressional offices, federal agencies, nonprofit organizations, and private companies. We are thrilled to continue this important work in cultivating a strong community of disabled leaders.

In January 2022, AAPD contracted Third Sight, LLC to conduct evaluation services of the Summer Internship Program. Third Sight will assess the program effectiveness and guide continued program improvement for the next 20 years, including program expansion.

The feedback gathered from our alumni, supervisors, mentors, and partners is crucial in expanding the program’s impact on our various stakeholder groups. With this in mind, the goals of the study are to:

  1. Learn about the outcome and impact that the AAPD Summer Internship Program had on the professional career trajectory, education and studies, and personal growth of program alumni.
  2. Understand how the program may have benefitted sponsors, placement site supervisors and employers, and mentors who have supported the Summer Internship Program.
  3. Identify the strengths of the Summer Internship Program and areas for improvement.

The evaluation team will reach out to Summer Internship Program alumni and partners to participate in the study through surveys and interviews. You will be contacted by Third Sight, LLC from info@ThirdSightLLC.com with a link to the survey. Please check your inbox for emails from Third Sight. Your responses will be anonymous and kept entirely confidential. 

If you do not receive an email by the end of March, please contact info@ThirdSightLLC.com to ensure you are included in this evaluation to share your feedback about the Summer Internship Program. 

We hope you will provide your open and honest feedback to the evaluation team so AAPD can continue to meaningfully improve our program to impact future generations. 

AAPD plans to release the findings in a long-term evaluation impact report in Fall 2022. Please check back on this page for updated information.