BY ROSEMARY CORCORAN
PALS Data & Research Associate
Data is something everyone uses to help make decisions every day. Whether you are using GPS to see if there is traffic on the way to your destination, checking the weather forecast for later this week, or tracking the steps you take on a smart watch, data is a major part of our everyday lives. PALS relies on data to see how we’re doing, where and how to improve, and to hear directly from all of the people who attend our programs.
One of the ways we collect this information is through surveys at the end of each Summer program. Everyone receives an invitation to complete a survey. We ask questions about the friendships they’ve built, how their experience related to different parts of the PALS mission, and their overall time at camp. There are different types of questions based on a participant’s role with PALS - were they a paired Participant? A Volunteer Leader? A parent or guardian? We recognize the value in each person’s different experience at PALS.
We demonstrate the value of each Participant’s experience by offering options for accessibility. At PALS, we know the traditional survey format is not always accessible - there can be lots of text, questions can be confusing or repetitive, and surveys are not always easy to use on a mobile device or tablet. We have worked with our survey software to help make a survey experience where everyone is welcome to take on their own or with some assistance - just like at camp. PALS’ surveys use a combination of images, voice recordings, and plain language for all question types. There are opportunities for Participants to share how they feel using open text boxes, too.
Part of PALS’ commitment to high-quality data is recognizing that we are always improving. Each year, we look at the questions we’ve asked and the responses we’ve received to see if changes need to be made in clarity, or to gather new information. We strive to receive feedback from every member of our community, and want to create programs that best serve all of our Participants.
So next time you attend a program with PALS, check your inbox when you get home! Provide us with some data so we can continue to run high-quality programs. Thank you!