Grow Your Evaluation Skills and Community Through the AEA

Posted by randerson on February 20th, 2022 Posted in: Thought Leadership

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Building your professional community and expanding your skills and knowledge are important areas of development for evaluators.  Professional organizations such as the American Evaluation Association (AEA)  can be an important conduit to growing one’s professional community, as well as skills and knowledgebase.

Build your professional community

The American Evaluation Association has thousands of members from across the United States and nearly 100 foreign countries. The AEA fosters community through several specific channels, including the online AEA Connect collaboration platform, the EvalTalk community forum, Topical Interest Groups (TIGs) coordinated around a special topic area, the “Find an Evaluator” expertise search tool, the Membership Directory, and local affiliates. The AEA also builds upon the strengths of its membership through volunteer opportunities.

Expand your skills and knowledge

Interested in gaining new evaluation tools for your toolbelt? If so, the AEA offers a range of education programs through their Digital Knowledge Hub, a library of tools and training resources. You can improve presentation skills through better Message, Design, and Delivery through AEA’s Potent Presentations Initiative. The Annual Evaluation Conference is another excellent opportunity to hear about new methods, teams, and tools — as is the annual Summer Evaluation Institute. The AEA also keeps track of university-based programs and other outside events for further study and growth. AEA also offers a range of formal and informal publications and other resources. These publications can not only serve as excellent learning resources, but they can be a terrific way to communicate YOUR evaluation work to the broader evaluation community.

Learn more

Learn more about AEA membership including benefits, meet some members, and get tips about making the most from this (and other) professional organizations and opportunities. Several members of the NEC are long-time members of the AEA and have found it to be a welcoming and invigorating professional home.  Please contact us if you have questions or would like to talk more about any of the resources listed here.