Public Policy students enrolled in the Program Evaluation course (POLC13H3) conducted evaluation research for two programs funded by the Federal Government and the Government of Ontario. The two government-funded programs, Rhyze Up and Rhyze Ventures, are aimed at promoting innovation in women-led social enterprises and businesses in Canada. The government provides support to the women entrepreneurs through mentorship, training, and direct grants. The evaluation research was carried out in partnership with the government's implementing partner, Boundless Accelerator, a non-profit organisation based in Guelph, Ontario. On Friday, December 15th, 2023, the students presented their findings and recommendations from the evaluation studies at the Guelph’s office of Boundless Accelerator.
The Program Evaluation course, led by Dr. Titilayo Soremi, is an experiential learning course taught in the public policy program at the Political Science Department. The course aims to deepen students’ understanding of policy evaluation and evidence-based policymaking. Through its experiential learning component, the course enables students to acquire hands-on experience in evaluating public programs implemented by government agencies and/or government-funded organisations.