Get a Grip! Tips to Ease Annual Report Anxiety
Thursday, April 22, 2021 2:00-2:30p EDT
Receiving grant funds to implement an innovative initiative can be both exhilarating and nerve-wracking. The usual responsibilities—and self-doubts—can intensify as the annual report deadline approaches. How do you start? What details do you include? Are just two of the discomforting questions that come with tackling an annual report.
Even when a funder provides a template, it does not necessarily simplify the process of fitting the unique aspects of what is happening on the ground with your program into a set format. Defuse your anxiety by attending The Rucks Group’s Annual Report webinar. In 30 minutes, you will learn what most funders, and the National Science Foundation (NSF) in particular, want to know from grantees.
For more information visit our Webinars page in our Resources.
We strive to introduce individuals to resources and tools that would serve as solutions to common issues. As much of our work transformed into a remote space, certain aspects remain much more challenging to convert, such as completing lab work and implementing hands-on training experiences. A potential solution to this challenge is the use of virtual reality. Dr. Magesh Chandramouli, Ph.D., Associate Professor of computer graphics technology at Purdue University Northwest (PNW), has been working on the NSF Advanced Technological Education-funded Project MANEUVER to develop a virtual reality learning framework that can provide practical, cost-effective, and in some cases, safer environments for student learning. This framework allows the modules to be accessed via multiple modes such as desktop and augmented virtual reality. The framework is available as a massive open online course (MOOC). To learn more about his work and how it could potentially help your work, visit www.nsfmaneuver.org. Dr. Chandramouli’s work was featured in the 1 Million Cups initiative of the Kaufmann Foundation and Dr. Chandramouli was awarded the Innovator Award from the Northwest Indiana Society of Innovators (NWI-Innovator Award) |
As a partner to the Working Partners team, we are pleased to share information about an upcoming event to offer a collaborative, interactive professional development opportunity designed to support ATE community members with identifying, assessing, and planning for successful industry-education partnerships. The free 8-week workshop will be held from May 23, 2021 – July 20, 2021.
Workshop Details:
- Live Sessions on Tuesdays from 3:00p – 4:30p EDT: Presentations, expert panel discussion, Q & A, interactive exercises, learning together, and more!
- Canvas Cohort Hub: Resources, planning guides, cohort support, announcements, recordings, exercise submissions, and more available 24/7 on the Canvas online course site.
- Hi-Tech Conference Registration: The workshop’s final live session will be held on Tuesday, July 20, just prior to the July 21 & 22 HI-TECH virtual conference. Participants who complete the workshop will be provided up to four free registrations to the conference.
For more information, click the Learn More button below.
Kathleen Lis Dean Joins The Rucks Group
We are pleased to announce a new member of The Rucks Group. Kathleen Lis Dean, Ph.D., joined the team from the Cleveland area in January 2021. As a Senior Research and Evaluation Associate, she provides insights to clients to help them attain intended improvements and program impacts.
Prior to joining The Ruck Group, Dr. Dean spent 20 years in evaluation and strategic leadership roles at higher education, nonprofit and philanthropic organizations, where she leveraged qualitative and quantitative data to support organizational effectiveness, outcomes assessment, accreditation, strategic planning, and continuous improvement.
Growth Comes with New Location
New opportunities this year have seeded a new home as well as growth at The Rucks Group. While most of our team continues to work remotely due to COVID-19, we have moved our offices to the 130 Building in the bustling center of Dayton’s Business District.
Please update our contact information in your records:
| Physical Address: | 130 W. Second Street; Suite 1050 Dayton, OH 45402 |
| Payment Remittance Address: | P.O. Box 24655 Dayton, OH 45424 |
| Additional Contact Info: | (p) 937-242-7024 (f) 937-242-7026 (e) info@therucksgroup.com (w) therucksgroup.com |
Highlighted Resources
Blog: Announcing the Spring 2021 Working Partners Workshop
Tool: Reporting Help: Calculating the Nearest Person Months
Coffee Break Webinar: Program Evaluation in Practice: A Case Study of Central State University’s STEM Success Center
Coffee Break Webinar: Now What? How to Use Evaluation Finding for Project Continuous Improvement
The Rucks Group, LLC is a research and evaluation firm that gathers, analyses, and interprets data to enable our clients to measure the impact of their work.