ETB Blogs

An ETB First for Fostering Culturally Responsive and Equitable Evaluation

On June 26, Expanding the Bench (ETB) held its first ever Open House. ETB invited Evaluators, Evaluation Partners, and Funders of Evaluation to learn more about our initiative and programming. The ETB team uplifted our commitment to centering racially and ethnically diverse evaluators and addressed the integral nature of culturally responsive and equitable evaluation (CREE) for advancing evaluation practice. Participants learned about ways in which they can engage CREE in their own work across the evaluation spectrum, as well as how they can join the ETB community through the Advancing Culturally-responsive and Equitable (ACE) Evaluation Network, Leaders in Equitable Evaluation and Diversity (LEEAD) Program, and financially supporting the ETB initiative or hosting Evaluators with a practicum site.

At the end of the Open House, we asked participants how they see themselves as part of the ETB community. They shared their experiences as culturally, racially, and ethnically diverse evaluators and discussed navigating these intersections in their work. Some offered their expertise while others were enthusiastic to learn. Funders mentioned their commitment to uplift and explore what it means to propel and implement CREE within their institutions. We enjoyed the opportunity to introduce Expanding the Bench to new Evaluators and grow our community!