From Data Extraction to Ethical Engagement: The Town Hall Model in Participatory Evaluation

• In Event: Ethical Engagement, STEM Programs, and Application of Machine Learning Techniques in Evaluation Research

Abstract

This study examines the use of town halls as a methodological innovation in program evaluation, specifically when working with historically marginalized communities. Traditional program evaluation often extracts data without sufficient accountability to participants. We propose town halls as relational spaces that return preliminary findings to participants, inviting collaborative meaning-making and fostering community connections. Three case studies demonstrate how town halls transform evaluation into an ethical practice of reciprocity and shared knowledge creation. This approach operationalizes principles of relational accountability by centering participant voices, building community among marginalized groups, and ensuring research outcomes have relevance to their communities. The study contributes to evaluation literature by offering a replicable model for ethical inquiry that is both academically rigorous and socially transformative.

Authors

• Nicole K. Weinberg, Texas Christian University

• Gabriel S. Huddleston, Texas Christian University

• Garrison Daly, Texas Christian University

• Chelsea Verrette, Texas Christian University

• Jason David Manriquez, Texas Christian University

• Marnie Foster, Texas Christian University