What We’ve Done
Our work includes research and evaluation projects, resources and tools, articles, and presentations.
Project Highlight
How Indirect Staff Support Camper Well-Being and Belonging (Case Studies)
How do various staff members at camp support youth and contribute to their well-being and sense of belonging?
When we think about experiences that lead to well-being and belonging for young people attending camps, we may not always consider the role of support staff. But rangers, cooks, and counselors-in-training do play a significant role in the camp experience. This set of three case studies illuminates the unique ways in which Camp Fire support staff contribute to campers’ experiences.
Project Highlight
Ignite Afterschool Believe & Build Impact Story
In partnership with Ignite Afterschool, Informed Change Supported 21 afterschool program grantees across the state of Minnesota. As the evaluation and research partner, Informed Change built grantees’ evaluation capacity, aggregated grantee data for federal grant reporting, and told the collective impact story of the grant program.
Full Impact Story | Executive Summary
Conference Presentations and Keynotes
Recent Highlights
Sethi, J., Eisenberg, C., Ka, M., and Sherka, H. (2025) Powered by Youth Voice: Conducting Purposeful Youth-Centered Evaluation to Guide Practice, Policy, and Philanthropy. Every Hour Counts Conference, presentation.
Sethi, J. and Eisenberg, C. (2025) Exploring Middle School Students’ Sexual Health and Wellness Needs Using a Youth-Engaged Research and Evaluation Approach. Society for Research in Child Development Conference, presentation.
Sethi, J. and Eisenberg, C. (2025) You Don’t Have to be an Evaluator to Collect Great Data and Use it for Impact. MENTOR Summit, presentation.
Gray, N., Sethi, J. and Eisenberg, C. (2024) Building Infrastructure & Tools for Virtual Mentoring. MENTOR Summit, presentation.
Myrbo, A., Sethi, J., and Eisenberg, C. (2024) When Two are Better than One: Stories and Strategies to Build Your Business and Evaluation Capacity Through Partnership. American Evaluation Association Annual Conference, presentation.
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Sethi, J. and Eisenberg, C. (2023, September 26). Working Together for a Purpose: Youth and Adults Share Insights from a Youth-Centered Evaluation Project. Minnesota Evaluation Association Conference.
Sethi, J. and Eisenberg, C. (2023, October 13). Experts of Their Own Experience: Tools and Strategies to Partner with Youth and Center their Stories in Evaluation. American Evaluation Association Conference.
Sethi, J. and Eisenberg, C. (2021, November 8). Building an Evaluation Practice that Centers Youth Voices and Stories. Camp Fire Promise to Practice Conference, virtual.
Sethi, J. and Eisenberg, C. (2021, October 19). Exploring Innovative Nature Engagement Practices in Camp Fire Programs. Camp Fire National Leadership Conference, virtual.
Eisenberg, C.Sethi, J. & Chamberlain, R. (2021, March 5-26). Faith Communities as Contexts for Holistic Youth Identity Development [Conference session]. Society for Research on Adolescence, virtual.
Sethi, J. & Chamberlain, R., Eisenberg, C.(2021, March 5-26). Faith-based communities as unique spaces for youth leadership development. [Conference session]. Society for Research on Adolescence, virtual.
Chamberlain, R., Sethi, J., Eisenberg, C., & Roehlkepartain, G., (2021, March 5-26). The role of developmental relationships in faith communities on positive youth outcomes. [Conference session]. Society for Research on Adolescence, virtual.
Sethi, J. & Chamberlain, R. (2020, Apr 17 - 21) "I Work Harder With a Nicer Teacher": What Works to Build Relationships and Motivate Students [Poster Session]. AERA Annual Meeting San Francisco, CA http://tinyurl.com/u4sbnf7 (Conference Canceled)
Sullivan, T., Sethi, J. (2021, March 5-26). Principles for Activating Positive Peer Relationships. [Conference session]. Society for Research on Adolescence, virtual.
Sethi, J. & Chamberlain, R.(2018). Strengthening Parent-Youth Developmental Relationships in the Context of a Two-Generation Family Engagement Program. Poster presented at the Society for Research on Adolescence meeting, Minneapolis, MN.
Johnston-Goodstar, K., Sethi, J. (2015). Countering Structural Violence through Youth Media Pedagogy. American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL.
Johnston-Goodstar, K., Sethi, J, Orozco, L. (2014). "Do I want to Work with You?:” Reflecting and Learning from Community-Engaged Work. Community-Engaged Research Conference, University of MN.
Johnston-Goodstar, K. & Sethi, J. (2013). Critical Media Literacy as Social Justice Youth Development. American Educational Research Association, San Francisco, CA.
Johnston-Goodstar, K., Sethi, J., Dagget, J., & Wilson, R. (2013) Critical Media Literacy for Young Activists. Free Minds Free People Conference, Chicago, Il.
Johnston-Goodstar, K., & Sethi, J., & Hartley, G. (2012). Native Youth Development: An exploration of critical media with Native American Youth. National Indian Educators Association Conference, Oklahoma City, OK.
Research and Evaluation Reports
Recent Highlights
Sethi, J. and Eisenberg, C. (2024) “Afterschool programs help you chase your dreams:” Exploring the Believe and Build Grant’s Impact on Minnesota Afterschool Programs. [Report to Ignite Afterschool]
Sethi, J. and Eisenberg, C. (2025) “All the students want to be scientists now:” Exploring the Impact of the Sea Turtle Ambassadors for the Gulf Program on Students and Teachers. [Report to InWater Research Group]
Sethi, J., Eisenberg, C., and Ka, M. (2024) “Dream Helped Me Express Myself:” Evaluation of U.S. Dream Academy Houston’s Programming. [Report to U.S. Dream Academy Houston]
Sethi, J., Hamai, T., Williams, K., Moriarty, T., & Cuevas, J. (2023) Powered by Youth Voice: Future Directions for Afterschool. [Public Report]
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Sethi, J. and Eisenberg, C. (2021) Exploring Innovative Nature Engagement Practices: Supporting Camp Fire’s Commitment to Promote Environmental Stewardship and Action. [Report to Camp Fire].
Sethi, J. and Eisenberg, C. (2020) Integrating Youth Development and Nature: An Exploration. [Report to Children & Nature Network].
Sethi, J. Eisenberg, C., & Roehlkepartain. E. C. (2020). Infinite Paths to Peace Leadership Development Retreats: A Report of Learning. Minneapolis, MN: Search Institute.
Boat, A., Sethi, J., Eisenberg, C., & Chamberlain, R. (2020). “It Was a Support Network System that Made Me Believe in Myself:” Understanding Youth and Young Adults’ Experiences of Social Capital in Five Innovative Programs. (Report to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation). Minneapolis, MN: Search Institute.
Boat, A. A., Syvertsen, A. K., & Eisenberg, C. L. (2020). The state of relationships: Young people’s relationships with adults in Minnesota schools and out-of-school time programs [Insights & Evidence Series]. Minneapolis, MN: Search Institute.
Scales, P. C., Roehlkepartain, E. C. Sethi, J., & Roskopf, J. (2020). Unleashing student potential by growing student-teacher relationships: A summary of findings from the Developmental Relationships Enhance Academic Motivation (DREAM) Project. Minneapolis: Search Institute.
Roskopf, J., Sethi, J., & Syvertsen, A. K. (2019). Opportunity Reboot participant perspectives: Opportunity Youth of Duluth. Evaluation report. Minneapolis, MN: Search Institute.
Eisenberg, C. (2018). Youth Participatory Evaluation and Youth Advisory Models in a Youth Development Program: Successes and Challenges in Cultivating Youth Voice and Participation.
Sethi, J. (2018) Opportunity Youth of Duluth: A Final Report of Learning. Minneapolis, MN: Search Institute.
Sethi, J., Sullivan, T. K., & Allen, L. (2018). Camp L.E.A.D.: Unpacking the Magic. Minneapolis, MN: Search Institute
Sullivan, T., Sethi, J., Van Boekel, M., Gebru, E., & Allen, L., Chamberlain, R. (2018). Bright Spots: An Exemplar Study of SCA Crew Leaders. Minneapolis, MN: Search Institute.
Roehlkepartain, E. C., Pekel, K., Syvertsen, A. K., Sethi, J., Sullivan, T. K., & Scales, P. C. (2017). Relationships first: Creating connections that help young people thrive. Minneapolis, MN: Search Institute.
Sethi. J, & Allen, L. (2016). Change Fellows II: A Report of Learning. (Report to Youthprise). Minneapolis, MN: Search Institute.
Sethi, J. K. (2014). Co-creating community change: responding to violence through youth media practice. (Doctoral dissertation, University of Minnesota)
Eisenberg, C. (2012) Environmental Sustainability and Economic Development in the Chinese Tourism Industry.
Resources and Tools
Sethi, J. and Eisenberg, C. (2024) U.S. Dream Youth Development Model Theory of Action + Narrative. [Model developed for U.S. Dream Academy]
Sethi, J. and Eisenberg, C. (2021). Dream Journey Curriculum. [Mentoring curriculum developed for U.S. Dream Academy].
Pekel, K.,* Sethi, J.,* Eisenberg, C., & Bergstrom, E. (2021). The relationship builder's guidebook: Activities and approaches to enhance developmental relationships. Minneapolis, MN: Search Institute. (*Joint first authors)
Roehlkepartain, E., Eisenberg, C., Sethi, J, & Chamberlain, R. (2021). Cultivating faith-nurturing developmental relationships with youth and families: A starter kit for congregations. Minneapolis, MN.: Search Institute. (Forthcoming)
Sethi, J., Eisenberg, C., & Lawler, J. (2020). Youth Lead: A Youth Leadership Workshop for Young People. [Workshop curriculum]. Minneapolis, MN: Search Institute.
Other Work
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Sethi, J., Chamberlain, R., Eisenberg, C., & Roehlkepartain, E. (2021). Seen and Heard: Learning from Young People's Experiences Sharing Power in Faith Communities. Journal of Youth Development, 16(5), 212-230.
Sethi, J., & Scales, P. C. (2020). Developmental relationships and school success: How teachers, parents, and friends affect educational outcomes and what actions students say matter most. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 63, 101904.
Chamberlain, R., Scales, P. C., & Sethi, J. (2020). Competing discourses of power in teachers’ stories of challenging relationships with students. Power and Education.
Scales, P. C., Pekel, K., Sethi, J., Chamberlain, R., & Van Boekel, M. (2020). Academic Year Changes in Student-Teacher Developmental Relationships and Their Linkage to Middle and High School Students’ Motivation: A Mixed Methods Study. The Journal of Early Adolescence, 40(4), 499-536.
Pekel, K., Roehlkepartain, E. C., Syvertsen, A. K., Scales, P. C., Sullivan, T. K., & Sethi, J. (2018). Finding the fluoride: examining how and why developmental relationships are the active ingredient in interventions that work. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry. doi: 10.1037/ort0000333
Johnston-Goodstar, K., Richards-Schuster, K., & Sethi, J. K. (2014). Exploring critical youth media practice: Connections and contributions for social work. Social work, 59(4), 339-346.
Johnston-Goodstar, K., & Sethi, J. (2013). Reports from the Field: Native Youth Media as Social Justice Youth Development. Journal of American Indian Education, 65-80.