Previously, we’ve discussed the importance of having young people evaluate your youth work sessions. Over the next few weeks we’ll explore different methods for guiding youth in evaluating your youth work.

Rate Youth Work Sessions on a Number Scale

There are lots of different ways to do this. By trying the different session evaluation ideas you’ll get useful information, while youth won’t feel like the youth work session evaluation is repetitive or boring.

n.b. Whenever you aren’t having the youth create a written record of their information, have a volunteer capture their answers on paper or in a picture. Ask a few to share why they chose the number they did for each question.

Here are four ways to perform numerical-based youth work session evaluations:

1. Vary your scale – Try 1-10, 1-5 or 1-3. Sometimes have 1 be the lower score and sometimes have it reflect the higher score.
2. Use paper numbers – Like old time scoring at sports events. Give your youth a paper to write their answers on (9.8 or 2.3, etc.) or give them numbers 1-10 and have them hold up their number for each question you ask.
3. Use fingers – Have your youth give a score on their fingers for each question. Get them to put their hands behind their backs and then show it at the same time, so no one copies each other.
4. Use their bodies & physical location in the room – Put the activities you did on paper around the room. Ask youth to go to the paper of the activity they enjoyed the most, found the most challenging, disliked the most, etc. Then count how many youth are by each activity for each question.