A collection of examples of logic models and ToCs for several types of youth mentoring programs. These examples can help mentoring programs, funders, and policymakers craft more effective mentoring programs for specific youth populations and outcomes. Each set of examples is accompanied by a brief write up that highlights distinctive characteristics of the logic model and theory of change for that type of mentoring program, as well as key supporting research and additional resources.

A collection of examples of logic models and ToCs for several types of youth mentoring programs. The examples in this typology, while not completely comprehensive, encompass the vast majority of program types operating in the youth mentoring field.

Example Logic Models and Theories of Change for Youth Mentoring Programs

theoriesofchange_working_paper_no_2015_02

Theoriesofchange_Working_Paper_No_2015_02

In 2009, a pair of meetings launched an ambitious initiative to link communities engaged in improving STEM education with those engaged in global sustainability. The organizers of the initiative, &#8220;Mobilizing STEM Education for a Sustainable Future&#8221; (details of which may be found at http://mobilizingstem.wceruw.org/), selected &#8220;critical advisors&#8221; to attend the meetings and guide discussion. These critical advisors, with expertise in relevant domains in higher education, such as professional development for faculty, curricula development, and policy and practice, were asked to propose new or adapted theories of change that can accomplish a vision for higher education. In this paper, therefore, we review theories of change already used in efforts to improve quality and access in STEM education. We consider why some STEM reform efforts based on particular theories of change (whether implicit or stated) may be more or less successful than others. To this end, this paper argues that theories of change are powerful yet often unacknowledged guides for human action for change. We first explain what a theory of change is. Then we present our findings from a preliminary study of theories of change inferred from a small sample of projects that the National Science Foundation solicited and subsequently funded to improve STEM education. We conclude by discussing the implications of unarticulated theories of change for the nation&#8217;s efforts to improve STEM education. (NOTE: this WCER working paper is a version of a 2009 paper resulting from the Mobilizing STEM Education for a Sustainable Future initiative.)

In this paper, the authors review Theories of Change used in efforts to improve quality and access in STEM education.

Why Theories of Change matter

Girls Not Brides has developed a ‘Theory of Change on Child Marriage’, a visual diagram that demonstrates the range of approaches needed to address child marriage and how they intersect. Informed by the insights of Girls Not Brides members and other experts on child marriage, the Theory of Change articulates what an effective response to child marriage entails. It outlines the range of approaches needed, demonstrates how they intersect, and aims to provide a basis to identify common indicators that could be used by diverse practitioners to monitor progress.

Girls Not Brides has developed a ‘Theory of Change on Child Marriage’, a visual diagram that demonstrates the range of approaches needed to address child marriage and how they intersect.