August 2021 Comments: For FY20-21, there were some changes of note. The Volunteer Center closed (0 survey responses on this prompt), NAMI On Campus was unable to operate due to the covid-19 pandemic (again, 0 survey responses), and MGMC Home Health had to focus its energies on responding to the coronavirus pandemic (as a result, their survey response rate dropped significantly). 

July 2020 Comments: Prior to FY19/20, many agencies used different methods and understandings of this data point. All agencies are now reporting only on individuals surveyed and on the survey results, resulting in unusual calcuations prior. 

The huge decrease in numbers from FY18/19 to FY19/20 has two primary causes:

1)The coronavirus pandemic. Many surveys were shortened or not conducted and a number of public education programs were cancelled. One such cancelled program resulted in a decline of nearly 2,000 individuals served.

2) A loss in grant funding for one large funded program, resulting in a major decline in numbers served.

The percentage who stated they had a better understanding actually stayed relatively stable, from 94% in FY18/19 (corrected) to 92% in FY19/20.

The partners whose data is aggregated and included here include only those who are funded specifically under the "Education" pillar (of United Way's annual ASSET investment), thereby most clearly meeting the definition of "community-based education." Other partners do provide educational components of their programming, but are not included here.* Those included are:

• ACCESS: Public Education & Awareness 
• MGMC Home Health: Community Clinics & Health Education
• NAMI: NAMI on Campus, Public Education & Awareness, Family & Peer Education (IOOV, not ETS-has not consistently asked prompt), Family & Peer Support, Wellness Center
• Raising Readers: Advocacy for Social Development (Effective FY23)
• The Arc: Advocacy
• The Community Academy: Community Projects Outside of School (Effective FY24)
• YSS: Public Education Child Safety, Public Education "Combined Other" (Substance Abuse Prevention etc.), Community Youth Development (started reporting in FY23)
• YWCA: Engaging International Spouses & Students, "Talk Back", Girls Power & College Bound

Data from the grant-funded "Story County College Access Network" is included from FY24 forward (when UWSC took over the direct coordination of this grant).

*Those not included here: ACCESS Crisis Support Services (teaches and surveys on learning about trauma and its effects), Central Iowa RSVP: Volunteer Management for Emergencies (teaches and assesses attendees about disaster response knowledge), Legal Aid (teach and survey on clients' understanding of their cases), MGMC Skilled Nursing (teaches and surveys about understanding of how home-health will be paid for, presciption and over-the-counter medicines, etc.), The Arc Active Lifestyles (teaches and surveys about understanding of healthy meal planning and kitchen safety).

Note also: data from several of the included funded programs is aggregated in other areas of the UWSC Strategy Map as well.