The Results

Through an independent longitudinal evaluation over 6 years, qualitative and quantitative data indicate that the Aspirations Incubator programs have a positive impact on youth participants.

The Data Innovation Project at the University of Southern Maine conducted a longitudinal independent evaluation of each Aspirations Incubator program site – their successes and challenges, and the impact the program had on the youth participants over the years. The evaluation findings will help determine if the Aspirations Incubator’s approach is worth pursuing in other rural communities, and whether it should live on beyond the six-year pilot.

New evaluation reports were issued each year from 2019 - 2023, and the Aspirations Incubator is pleased to share the final 6-year evaluation report about the impact of 6 years of programming, from September 2017 to August 2023. A retrospective of the first half of the pilot phase can be found in an interim evaluation report for Years 1-3, which was released in June 2021. Individual reports for Years 1, 2, 4, & 5 can be found at the links below.

The final report covers Year 6 and offers reflections on the impact of the Aspirations Incubator on both the students and the organizations in the pilot, as well as lessons learned and implications for policy makers and funders focused on youth development and out-of-school time programs. This independent evaluation shows that the Aspirations Incubator is helping young people feel more connected to their community, more open to new experiences and people, more engaged in school, and more likely than their grade level peers to enroll in post-secondary education pathways after graduation.