PPA shared its focus group expertise with Michigan community colleges through a new guide, The MI-Best Student Focus Group Guide. This guide is designed to help community colleges hear student voices and apply the learning to their programs and services. It may also be helpful to others looking to conduct focus groups with their customers … Continued
Paige Haight recently celebrated her five-year anniversary at Public Policy Associates. PPA provided her practicum experience as part of her graduate studies in program evaluation at Michigan State University. After graduation, she joined PPA full time. She has risen to Research Associate II and conducts qualitative and quantitative research related to a wide range of … Continued
Building on our years of experience in educational research, we are pleased to release a new issue brief. The brief looks at the problem of teacher shortages and the need for more teachers of color in Michigan, and a solution that may work for many communities. Grow Your Own (GYO) programs aim to eliminate school-level … Continued
Even in rural areas with vast natural resources like Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (UP), many individuals and families struggle to put fresh fruits and vegetables on their tables. A short growing season limits when local produce is available. For some, proximity to produce is the barrier; the nearest market might be 30 miles away. Furthermore, many … Continued
Public Policy Associates, Inc. (PPA) and the Michigan Department of Education (MDE), Office of Great Start were awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families to explore opportunities to increase access to quality child care for Michigan families. This planning grant will result in a stakeholder-informed, … Continued
A recent PPA report shares lessons from a highly successful Oregon workforce program as it was redeployed in 2021 under a new organization, facilitation team, and training format. The Rethinking Job Search program was designed to bolster job seekers’ motivation and confidence in their ability to be quickly reemployed. It offered methods for dealing with … Continued
