CTAC Students - Getting Involved

CTAC is a multi-partner initiative to enhance the data and evaluation capacity of community organizations through student-led, community-engaged projects.

CTAC is semester-based, with projects in Fall, Winter, and Spring/Summer. Graduate students with skills or experience in data and evaluation can join CTAC and serve as Student Consultants for a local nonprofit partner organization. 

Components:

  1. Work on an individual or team-based data/evaluation project throughout the semester.
  2. CTAC full group meetings throughout the semester, on a bi- or tri- weekly basis.
  3. At least 2 meetings with partner organization with on-going communication as needed.
  4. Optional professional development and skill-building workshops.
  5. End-of-semester project showcase.

Eligibility:

  1. Graduate student standing.
  2. Professional or academic experience with data & evaluation skills.

If you don't yet have the data/evaluation skills to join CTAC, check out these other Data & Eval Resources on campus where you can develop foundational skills.

Ways To Engage:

  1. Course substitution
    1. If you have a course that CTAC can fulfill in terms of learning objectives, CTAC can be used to fuilfill that requirement with an advisor's permission.
  2. Independent Study
    1. If no course is appropriate to substitute, you may be able to use CTAC to gain independent study credits. In most cases, you'll need to find your own Independent Study Advisor.
  3. MSW Field Placement
    1. If you are enrolled in the School of Social Work, you may be able to complete your field hours through a placement with CTAC. If you are interested, please speak to your field advisor. 
  4. SPH APEx Requirement
    1. CTAC can fulfill the Applied Practice Experience requirement in the School of Public Health with the creation of a learning plan and approval of APEx advisor.
  5. Work-Study Positions
    1. We have a limited number of work-study positions available per term. If you are eligible for a work-study position, please reach out to [email protected] to discuss if CTAC is the right fit for you.
    2. It is important to note that you cannot be paid and receive academic credit at the same time. 
  6. Volunteer/Unpaid Internship
    1. Many students engage with CTAC as volunteers if they do not need course credit. 

CTAC Alumni Voices:

"Hands down the best part of my MSW program, the experience with quantitative analysis was so useful.. I was getting my eval work in."

"I found CTAC to be the biggest contributor to my learning and one of the few places where I learned practical skills for application in my current professional life."

"CTAC gave me an outlet to practice, learn, and develop my evaluation and management skills.. I understand how to build management tools that inform my [current] workplace and clarify our collective charge and approach to the work."