Current Partnerships

Data Innovation Project – Catherine Cutler Institute, University of Southern Maine

The Data Innovation Project (DIP) is conducting an extended evaluation project focused on the Aspirations Incubator pilot site graduates as they pursue their post-secondary education and career pathways from 2023 – 2025.  AI graduates will be matched by demographic with grade-level peers from school districts that hosted an AI program during the pilot phase, and DIP will collect quantitative and qualitative data from both AI and non-AI participants including:

• college enrollment rates

• college persistence rates

• 2-year degree attainment

• career credential attainment

• self-report surveys

• focus groups

AI graduate data will be compared with non-AI participant data to help explore similarities and difference between the two groups in their post-secondary experience over time.

University of Maine – College of Education and Human Development

The RYI is currently developing a research practice partnership with Catharine Biddle, PhD., School Director at the School of Education Leadership, Higher Education, and Human Development.  Dr. Biddle’s research focuses on ways in which rural schools and communities respond to social and economic change in the 21st century. She is particularly interested in how schools can more effectively leverage partnerships with external organizations or groups to address issues of social inequality and how non-traditional leaders—such as youth, parents, and other community members—may lead or serve as partners in these efforts. 

To learn more about the Rural Youth Institute’s transformative research and evaluation efforts, contact us: info@ruralyouthinstitute.org