| Table 1. Survey Completion Rates | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2023 CHCI Alumni Survey | ||
Completion |
Survey Respondents |
|
| Total | % | |
| 0% - 16% | 384 | 36.5 |
| 17% - 38% | 29 | 2.8 |
| 39% - 45% | 41 | 3.9 |
| 46% - 80% | 18 | 1.7 |
| 81% - 100% | 581 | 55.2 |
1 Introduction
In Spring 2024, CHCI retained AG Consulting, L.L.C., to examine the impact of the CHCI programs by examining the 2023 Alumni Survey. This report summarizes CHCI goals, the conceptual grounding of the evaluation, the methodology followed, main findings, conclusions, and recommendations. Accordingly, this reports is organized into the following sections:
CHCI, programs & pillars
Conceptual underpinnings
Research questions
Final sample
Programmatic impact
Conclusions & implications
Recommendations
2 CHCI Programs & Pillars
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) is a national organization dedicated to developing the next generation of Latino leaders. Founded in 1978, CHCI’s mission is focused on building a pipeline of Latino talent that will transform their communities, the halls of Congress, and the Corporate and Non-Profit sectors (CHCI, 2024). CHCI also brings together young professionals, elected officials, researchers, experts, and nonprofit leaders to discuss pressing issues facing the Latino community, the nation, and the world (CHCI, 2024).
2.1 CHCI Programs
Since the early 1980s, CHCI has opened doors to Latinos interested in learning about how Washington works and gaining experience in public policy. CHCI programs have graduated more than 5,000 Latinos.
A short description of some of CHCI’s existing programs1 is as follows:
NextGen Program. It is a week-long summer engagement opportunity for 10th and 11th grade high school students interested in learning more about civic engagement (NextGen, 2024).
Congressional Internship Program. It is a semester-long paid internship for college students with any major. In addition to being placed in a Congressional office, Interns also received leadership development programming provided by CHCI once a week (CIP, 2024).
Public Policy Fellowship Program. It is a 9-month paid fellowship for college graduates. In addition to being placed in a Congressional office, federal government office, or non-profit organization, Fellows receive leadership development programming provided by CHCI once a week (PPF, 2024).
Graduate Public Policy Fellowship Program. It is a 9-month paid fellowship for Latinos with a graduate degree. In addition to being placed in a Congressional office, federal government office, or non-profit organization, Fellows receive leadership development programming provided by CHCI once a week (GPF, 2024).
2.2 Core Pillars
CHCI rests on four core pillars to advance its leadership development programming. Those are: 1) expedition of self-discovery, 2) transformation through collective power, 3) rooted in my own strength, and 4) planting seeds for tomorrow. Each of these pillars provides participants with the knowledge, skills, and key experiences necessary to advance in their careers and become leaders in their communities.
Expedition of self-discovery - Individuals take the time to explore who they are, where they come from, what their values are, and their purpose.
Transformation through collective power- participants are exposed and learn about key aspects of structural barriers to advancement such as white supremacy, racism, the patriarchy and its effects on the Latino community.
Rooted in my own strength-Participants analyze the current landscape of Latinos in Public, private, and government sectors in the U.S.
Planting seeds for tomorrow- Participants have the opportunity to use their strengths and set their beliefs on how best to execute a plan of action for long-term success.
3 Conceptual underpinnings
We relied on several perspectives to guide our assessment of the impact of CHCI programs. Our selection was informed by the vocational and civic orientation of CHCI programs as well as their target population (e.g., high school, and college aged Latinos). Accordingly our perspectives ranged from psychological models such as the Social Cognitive Career Theory (Locke & Latham, 1990), theories of identity development, perspectives on civism, to funds of knowledge (Moll et al, 1992). A brief explanation of each is provided below.
3.2 Civic engagement
Civic engagement literature suggests that students are predisposed towards engaging in certain types of civic behaviors over others. Morton (1995) postulated that these predispositions fall into three domains or paradigms. Those individuals engaged in short term volunteer activities to help others less fortunate fall in the charity paradigm. Volunteering for the benefit of the community falls in the project paradigm. In contrast, those individuals who engage in activities aimed at changing society fall into the social change paradigm.
Research on college students and alumni reveals that their civic engagement manifests itself in a variety of prosocial behaviors ranging from philanthropy to political activism (e.g., Weerts & Cabrera, 2021). Moreover, civic engagement among college graduates underscores identifiable classes of engaged alumni who are predisposed to choose a particular set of prosocial behaviors over another (e.g., Pastor et al., 2018; Weerts, Cabrera & Mejías, 2014; Weerts & Cabrera, 2015, 2021).
Civic engagement among Latinx college graduates departs slightly from the pattern exhibited by the general population. Guzman and Cabrera (2022) found that Latino college civic engagement graduates falls into five classes: activists (“activistas”), mentors (“mentores”), political oriented (“politicos”), voters (“votantes”) and indifferent (“indiferentes” ). A common thread across two of those classes is to serve as funds of knowledge and support for one’s communities.
3.3 Funds of knowledge
Funds of knowledge are historically accumulated and culturally developed bodies of knowledge, skills, and networks essential for individual functioning in society as well as one’s well-being (Moll, Amanti, Neff, & Gonzalez, 1992). The funds of knowledge perspective is particularly relevant when examining how Latino college graduates, their families, and communities navigate complex social systems (Delima, 2019; Kiyama, 2010; 2011; Rios-Aguilar, 2010, Segura, Pachon & Woods, 2001 ).
Latino college graduates themselves serve as funds of knowledge for their families and communities. They participate in mentoring programs, support students’ involvement in Hispanic leadership programs, and share valuable information with their community and family members as to how to cope with political, economic and social systems and organizations (Guzman & Cabrera, 2022).
3.4 Identity development
Identity development is closely linked to psychological changes that intensify during early adulthood (Chickering & Reisser, 1993). During this time, individuals undergo changes in their self-understanding within the context of others, as well as in their self-confidence. People also develop various identities related to religion, ethnicity, gender, social class, and even a sense of belonging to specific academic disciplines (Fries-Britt, Cabrera, Kurban & McGuire, 2018; Renn & Reason, 2021). Through this identity formation, individuals can contextualize their ethnicity and determine the role it will play in their lives (Phinney, 2003; Rhea & Thatcher, 2013).
Ferdman and Gallegos (2001) argue that Latinos experience six stages in their identity development. Consequently, Latinos develop an understanding of self within a multicultural framework, embracing similar values and traditions that go beyond mere racial considerations.
4 Research questions
Our assessment is guided by the following questions.
What are the CHCI programs most alumni graduate from?
What are the alumni attainments in terms socioeconomic status (e.g., income, education), and influence as appraised by holding managerial positions?
What areas of expertise alumni report the most?
-
Are alumni civically engaged as appraised by their political activism?
- Does political activism vary across CHCI program?
-
Do alumni believe CHCI contributed to their personal and professional journey as Latinx leader?
- Does CHCI contribution to one’s self efficacy vary by CHCI program?
5 Final sample
1053 CHCI alumni answered the survey. However, the survey administration yielded a high level of missing information. Fifty-seven percent of the alumni completed at least 80% of the survey (see Table 1) . We also found 70 duplicated surveys. After excluding duplicated surveys and cases who completed less than 64% of the survey, we ended up with a sample of 561 CHCI alumni, or 53% of the 1,053 of the alumni who originally submitted their surveys via Qualtrics.
5.1 CHCI programs
On March 26, we reported Qualtrics produced tangled responses regarding alumni participation in the 7 CHCI programs. After untangling program participation (see Figure 1) the Congressional Internship Program ranks as the most prominent program, followed by Next Gen Latino Leadership, Public Policy Fellowship and Graduate/Postgraduate Fellowship.
Only one graduate of the Hogar Fellowship answered the survey. Merely seven Latino Hill Staff graduates participated in the survey. Just 34 Scholar-Intern Program graduates answered the survey. In view of this low response across the CHCI programs, we decided to focus our attention to graduates of the most established programs with a sample large enough to ascertain programmatic impacts.
Table 2 reports the alumni retained for this report. Graduates of the Congressional Internship program comprise 43% of the final sample. Alumni from the Public Policy Fellowship and the Graduate Public Fellowship together represent one third of respondents. Additionally, a quarter of the graduates participated in the Next Generation Latino Fellowship.
Our focus was primarily on programs with a substantial historical record. As indicated in Table 2, the survey includes responses from alumni who participated in these programs as far as the 1980s and early 2000s.
We categorized graduates of CHCI programs into three groups, emphasizing programs with larger cohorts and longer histories. The alumni were grouped into the Congressional Internship Program, Next Generation Latino Leadership, and a combined category for the Public Policy Fellowship and Graduate Public Fellowship. Graduates involved in multiple programs (n = 31) were excluded due to the challenge of attributing outcomes to a specific program.
Graduates of the Latino Hill Staff Academy were excluded due to the recent establishment of the program, making outcome assessment challenging. Similarly, graduates of the Scholar-Intern Programs and Hogar Fellowship characterized by their smaller alumni groups, were also excluded. These criteria resulted on an effective sample of 506 CHCI alumni.
| Table 2. CHCI program participation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Program | N | % |
Participation year |
Distribution | ||
| Min | Max | Median | ||||
| Cong Intern Prog | 219 | 43.0 | 1987 | 2023 | 2017 | |
| Public Pol Fellow/Grad Post Fellow* | 157 | 31.0 | 1981 | 2022 | 2014 | |
| NextGen Latino Lead | 130 | 26.0 | 2000 | 2023 | 2023 | |
| * A single item was used to capture the participation year at either fellowship. | ||||||
6 Programmatic impacts
6.1 Educational attainment
Table 3 reports the educational attainment of the CHCI alumni sample into three groups. The undergraduate education category includes both associate and baccalaureate degree holders. The graduate education category comprises alumni with master’s, doctoral, and law degrees. The table also compares these figures with the educational attainment of the US population as reported by the Pew Research Center (October, 2023).
CHCI alumni are highly educated (Table 3). Eighty-two percent hold postsecondary education credentials, with forty percent having earned a graduate degree. Of them, 7% hold a law degree. The educational attainment of CHCI alumni surpasses that of US Latinos. Additionally, a higher proportion of CHCI alumni hold graduate degrees compared to the general US population.
| Table 3. Educational levels | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| In percentages | |||
| CHCI Alumni |
US Population |
||
| Latinos | All | ||
| High School | 18 | 56 | 37 |
| Undergraduate ed | 42 | 38 | 49 |
| Graduate ed | 40 | 7 | 14 |
6.1.1 Educational attainment & CHCI program
Table 4 examines the association between educational attainment and CHCI program groups. Proportions are reported within each alumni group. The association between these two variables is statistically significant \(X^2(4) =\) 354.4; p < .01), with a moderately high of correlation of 0.60.
The highest educational attainment among NextGen graduates is relatively low next to the other two alumni groups. Nearly a quarter of NextGen alumni attained an undergraduate degree, and one-percent of them secured graduate education. At the opposite end are graduates of the Congressional Internship Program and the PPF/GPF programs. Most of their graduates hold post secondary degrees. Of particular note is the educational attainment of graduates of the Postgraduate and Public Policy fellowship. Nearly seventy percent reported having attained a graduate degree.
| Table 4. Educational levels across CHCI programs | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| In percentages | |||
|
CHCI Program |
|||
| NextGen | PPF/GPF | CIP | |
| High School | 75 | - | 3 |
| Undergraduate ed | 24 | 31 | 59 |
| Graduate ed | 1 | 69 | 38 |
6.2 Household income attainment
Table 5 presents the income distribution of CHCI alumni categorized into low, middle, and high-income brackets2. These categories were defined based on recent reports from the Pew Research Center (2022,2024) and MoneyWise (Legate-Wolfe, 2024).
According to the Pew Research Center (2024), Hispanics are more likely to reside in lower-income households (see table 5 ). This pattern was consistent among incoming CHCI cohorts from the 2009-2022 period, with 64% of them reporting family incomes below the $50,000 threshold.
| Table 5. CHCI Alumni income tier | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| In percentages | |||
| Income | CHCI |
US Population |
|
| Latinos | All | ||
| Low | 22 | 43 | 30 |
| Middle | 57 | 49 | 52 |
| High | 21 | 8 | 17 |
CHCI alumni income profile sharply contrasts with both CHCI interns and the national profile. CHCI alumni demonstrate slightly higher economic outcomes compared to the general U.S. population, while surpassing the income levels of Hispanic households on average (see Figure 2). Moreover, CHCI alumni are disproportionately represented in higher-income brackets compared to both Hispanics and the general population.
6.2.1 Income & CHCI program
Household income and type of program the CHCI alum graduated from are associated (\(X^2(4)=\) 90.9; p < .01 ), with a positive but small correlation of 0.32. As shown in Table 6, graduates of the Public Policy and Postgraduate Fellowships economically outperform the graduates of the two remaining programs. Thirty three percent of them report being at the highest household bracket. In contrast, half of NextGen graduates are more likely to be from the lowest income group. Only 5 percent of them report being at the highest income bracket.
| Table 6. CHCI Alumni across income groups | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| In percentages | |||
| NextGen | PPF/GPF | CIP | |
| Low Income | 52 | 7 | 17 |
| Middle Income | 43 | 60 | 62 |
| High Income | 5 | 33 | 20 |
6.3 Managerial positions
Managerial positions play a vital role within organizations, as they are responsible for initiating and overseeing change (Mintzberg, 1979; Kezar, 2018). Nearly half of CHCI graduates hold significant organizational roles: around 40% serve as middle managers, and 8% occupy senior management positions, such as vice presidents, CEOs, or presidents (see Table 7).
These findings align with a recent report by the Hispanic Association of Corporate Responsibility (HACR, 2023), which estimates that only 5% of Latinos hold CEO positions. Five percent of CHCI alumni report being CEOs of their organizations.
| Table 7. Managerial positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| N | % | |
| Entry level | 202 | 53 |
| Middle level | 149 | 39 |
| Top level | 29 | 8 |
6.3.1 Managerial positions & CHCI program
There is a significant association between holding managerial positions and the type of program attended by CHCI graduates (\(X^2(4)=\) 17.5; p < .01), although the correlation coefficient is relatively small at 0.15.
Among all CHCI graduates, those who completed Public Policy Fellowships and Postgraduate Fellowships exhibit the highest likelihood of holding managerial positions (see Table 8). Specifically, twelve percent of these graduates occupy what Mintzberg (1979) defines as the “apex” of their organizations. Similarly, graduates of the Congressional Internship Program (CIP) perform strongly, with forty-six percent holding significant managerial positions. In contrast, nearly a quarter NextGen alumni report holding influential managerial roles.
| Table 8. CHCI alumni across managerial positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| In percentages | |||
| NextGen | PPF/GPF | CIP | |
| Entry level | 76 | 44 | 54 |
| Middle level | 20 | 45 | 40 |
| Top level | 4 | 12 | 6 |
6.4 Areas of expertise
The 2023 CHCI survey listed 24 potential areas of expertise, allowing respondents to choose all that applied. Additionally, respondents could add expertise areas not listed. This flexibility resulted in 234 unique combinations among areas of expertise.
Analyzing these 234 combinations revealed that the top three areas of expertise were Policy (16%), Education (10%), and Administration of Non-Profit Organizations (9%). We conducted a content analysis of the original 24 areas of expertise, grouping them into four categories: 1) Community Empowerment, 2) Government & Policy, 3) Education & Humanities, and 4) STEM Fields.
Expertise in Government & Policy was the most frequently reported, with 43% of CHCI alumni indicating expertise in law, the operation of federal agencies, and policy (see Table 9). Expertise in Community Empowerment was the second most common, with 28% of respondents indicating knowledge of community services, business, community organizing, and communications.
It is important to note that these four areas of expertise are not mutually exclusive; respondents often reported expertise across multiple areas.
| Table 9. Areas of expertise | ||
|---|---|---|
| In percentages | ||
| N | % | |
| Government & policy | 401 | 43 |
| Community empowerment | 255 | 28 |
| Education & humanities | 143 | 15 |
| STEM fields | 125 | 14 |
6.4.1 Areas of expertise across CHCI programs
The areas of expertise and CHCI programs are statistically associated (\(X^2(4)=\) 37.5; p < .01). However, the correlation between them is rather small (Cramer’s V = 0.14).
A hallmark across CHCI programs is that graduates most frequently report expertise in Government and Policy (see Table 10). Graduates of the Congressional Internship Program report higher percentages of expertise in Community Empowerment, second only to those in the NextGen program and the combined Postgraduate and Public Policy fellowship programs.
| Table 10. Expertise across CHCI programs | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| In percentages | |||
| NextGen | PPF/GPF | CIP | |
| STEM fields | 14 | 21 | 8 |
| Community empowerement | 26 | 21 | 33 |
| Government & policy | 42 | 45 | 43 |
| Education & humanities | 17 | 13 | 17 |
6.5 Political activism
6.5.1 Political activism across the board
The 2023 CHCI alumni survey contains three indicators of political activism: staffing or volunteering at local or national electoral campaigns, running for office or serving as an elected official or appointee, and holding elected positions. Electoral campaigning constitutes the main expression of civic activism (see Table 11). Forty-one percent report having engaged in this civic behavior. Only four percent of alumni report holding appointed positions or having campaigned for office. However, CHCI alumni display slightly higher levels of political activism compared to a national sample of Latino college graduates (Guzman & Cabrera, 2021, 222), a remarkable trend since the national sample is made up of highly civically engaged Hispanics.
| Table 11. CHCI Alumni political activism | ||
|---|---|---|
| In Percentages | ||
2019 Latinx |
CHCI |
|
| Electoral campaigning | - | 41 |
| Holding appointed positions | 1 | 4 |
| Campaigning for office | 6 | 4 |
6.5.2 Political activism by CHCI program
Political activism patterns varies to some extent across CHCI programs (see Table 12). Engagement in electoral campaigns constitutes the most important expression of political activism among CHCI alumni; particularly so among CIP and PPF/GPF graduates. Nearly half of them staffed or volunteered in electoral campaigns. The lowest levels of political activism are found among NextGen alumni. Irrespective of program, holding appointed positions and campaigning for office are the least civic expressions.
It is important to note that PPF/GPF alumni are more prone to hold appointed positions next to a national sample of highly engaged Latinx college graduates. While PPF/GP graduates report 10% participation rates, civically engaged Latinos display 6% participation rates in this behavior.
| Table 12. Political activism by CHCI program | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| In Percentages | ||||
CHCI Program |
N |
Electoral |
Holding appointed |
Campaigning |
| CIP | 219 | 47 | 2 | 5 |
| PPF/GPF | 157 | 54 | 10 | 5 |
| NextGen | 130 | 16 | 1 | 2 |
6.6 Self-Efficacy
We identified four indicators of the impact of CHCI on alums’ self-efficacy. They deal with the contribution of CHCI on understanding one’s identities, connecting with one’s communities, confidence as a leader, and knowledge of current issues affecting the Latino community. Table 13 reports the percentage of alumni reporting a positive impact by type of program.
| Table 13. Percentage of alumni reporting CHCI contributed to personal/professional journey as a Latinx leader | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CHCI Program |
N |
Identity |
Connecting |
Knowledge |
Leadership |
| CIP | 219 | 78 | 78 | 84 | 78 |
| PPF/GPF | 157 | 72 | 66 | 76 | 81 |
| NextGen | 130 | 87 | 88 | 83 | 88 |
Alumni agree that the CHCI programs impacted their self-efficacy. The majority of them indicated that the experience contributed to their personal and professional growth as Latino leaders. They developed a deeper understanding of their identities while feeling a stronger connection to them. Notably, two key competencies highlight CHCI alumni potential as “funds of knowledge” for their communities (Moll et al., 1992). Alumni expressed a willingness to engage with their communities, along with an informed interest in the political issues affecting Latinos. Additionally, they felt confident in their ability to succeed in leadership roles (Rios-Aguilar, 2010).
While self-efficacy is a hallmark of all CHCI programs, NextGen graduates outperform CIP and fellowship graduates in three out of the four self-efficacy indicators. This trend is especially significant given that high school students are the target population for this program. In essence, the NextGen internship appears to have a positive impact on the crucial stages of identity development during late adolescence and early adulthood (Chickering & Reisser, 1993; Kiyama, 2010).
7 Conclusions & implications
7.1 Conclusions
CHCI Alumni demonstrate high levels of educational attainment. A staggering 80% of CHCI Alumni hold at least an undergraduate degree. This is nearly double (44%) of the percentage of the general population of Latinos and more than the 63% of the general population that hold at least an undergraduate degree. A whopping 40% of CHCI Alumni hold at least a Graduate Degree in comparison to 14% of the general population and just 7% of the general Latino population. CHCI Alumni are leading the charge in terms of educational attainment.
CHCI Alumni are blazing the trail by serving in managerial positions. Nearly half (44%) of all CHCI Alumni are serving in high-level managerial positions. However, only 8% of CHCI Alumni are serving in top-level positions. This finding is consistent with recent research conducted by the Hispanic Association of Corporate Responsibility which indicates that only 5% of Latinos hold high-level executive positions in Corporate America. There is certainly an opportunity to further support how CHCI Alumni are growing and advancing to top-level senior positions.
Nearly half (42%) of CHCI Alumni reported being knowledgeable of government and policy. This expertise makes them ideal candidates for serving in key leadership roles such as holding board positions at the non-profit or corporate levels.
CHCI alumni have the potential to be agents of change in the political and policy arenas. They are experts in community organizing, communications, government, and policy. Additionally, they are confident in their understanding of political issues affecting Latinos, and in their leadership ability. Moreover, they belief they can engage their communities. Despite these strengths, their political activism remains largely confined to volunteering or staffing in electoral campaigning. Few of them pursue appointed positions, or run for office.
7.2 Implications
CHCI Alumni are prime examples of the promise of upward financial mobility. Nearly 80% of CHCI Alumni reported incomes at the middle and high range. In comparison, 69% of the general population and 57% of the general Latino population report incomes in the middle and high range (according to the US Census). This finding provides clear support for the benefits of CHCI in elevating the financial well-being of Alumni. Especially considering that 64% of the incoming CHCI 2009-2022 cohorts originated from the lowest income tier.
Nearly half of all CHCI Alumni display high levels of civic engagement through engaging in electoral campaigning (40%). However, there is more work to be done in order to be better understand and unearth the role that CHCI Alumni play in galvanizing their communities to advance and advocate for change. Specifically, how can CHCI Alumni serve as Funds of Knowledge in their communities to promote civic engagement and participation and also CHCI’s programs and events?
As indicated, CHCI Alumni are primed to serve in key civic leadership positions including but not limited to: boards, commissions and elected office. CHCI can play a key role in developing the programming necessary to ensure that more Alumni receive the proper supports to step into these key leadership roles.
8 Recommendations
We propose adopting a competency-based approach in redesigning the CHCI alumni surveys, ensuring that the identified competencies align with the unique objectives of each of the five CHCI programs and its pillars. This alignment will provide more targeted insights into alumni development and program impact assessment. Our second recommendation focuses on enhancing data collection strategies to improve accuracy and relevance, while the third emphasizes the importance of expanding indicators of civic engagement to capture a broader spectrum of alumni contributions to their communities.
8.1 Adopt a competency approach
All four CHCI programmatic pillars aim to foster the personal and professional competencies that empower program participants to be civically engaged. However, each of the five programs appears to focus on developing specific competencies for particular groups. For example, the NextGen program targets high school students, fostering their civic engagement by teaching them about the political process. In contrast, the Postgraduate Fellowship program seeks to enhance college graduates’ professional skills by training them in drafting policy briefs.
In light of the four CHCI pillars, we recommend adopting a competency-based approach to clearly outline the competencies each of the five programs aims to develop (Rogers et al., 2019, Weng & McElroy, 2010). Table 14 lists 9 potential competencies to illustrate our approach. Completing this table may reveal that some competencies are shared across the programs, while others may serve as foundational. For instance, understanding the political process—a key competency for NextGen interns—could be the foundation for drafting policy briefs, which is a critical skill for Postgraduate Fellowship interns.
| Table 14. A competency approach to survey development | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Identifying competencies by program | |||||
| Competencies |
CHCI Programs |
||||
| PPF | GPF | CIP | NextGen | Latino Acad | |
| Public policy networking | - | - | - | - | - |
| Communicating with policy makers | - | - | - | - | - |
| Leadership | - | - | - | - | - |
| Understanding role of politics in society | - | - | - | - | - |
| Knowledge of political issues | - | - | - | - | - |
| Community service | - | - | - | - | - |
| Identity development | - | - | - | - | - |
| Management skills | - | - | - | - | - |
| Clarity of vocational/professional goals | - | - | - | - | - |
This approach may also lead to the development of program-specific surveys. For example, NextGen alumni may require a tailored survey, while the Fellowship programs alumni could be addressed with a unified survey.
Completing this competency matrix will also improve the content of the CHCI Alumni survey. A preliminary review of program descriptions reveals that the survey currently omits several important competencies, including drafting policy briefs, organizing policy briefings, project planning, understanding the legislative process, time management, public speaking, and understanding the roles and functions of governmental agencies.
8.2 Adopt a longitudinal approach for assessing programs
We recommend using a longitudinal approach to track alumni at different stages of their journey, employing varied data collection strategies (Wan et al., 2013). At the start of the program, surveys could gather key family background characteristics (e.g., parental education, parental income, Latino heritage (e.g., Caribbean, Central American, South American origins), history of civic involvement (e.g., family civic engagement, leadership roles in high school or college, volunteering, philantrophy), and personal expectations for the program.
Midway through the participants’ program, data collection could focus on experiences, achievements, feelings of belonging, and interns’ recommendations for program improvements. At this stage, it is important to capture elements of “experiential learning” (Kolb, 2014)—real-world exposure through hands-on experiences (e.g., attending legislative sessions) and practical projects (e.g., drafting policy briefs) (Rogers et al., 2019). For alumni, data collection should focus on long-term outcomes such as attainments, civic engagement, running for and holding public offices, and willingness to mentor CHCI alumni.
8.3 Align conceptual frameworks with survey development
We also recommend that surveys be grounded in sound conceptual frameworks aligned with the individual’s developmental stage throughout their program. During the program, surveys could capture key indicators of success, such as the enhancement of self-efficacy, access to important networks, and the acquisition of competencies vital to the program. For graduates, the survey can shift focus to achievements (e.g., socioeconomic status, political activism, leadership or managerial roles).
8.4 Expand indicators of civic engagement
The current CHCI survey provides a limited perspective on Latino civic engagement. However, civic participation among Latinx college graduates encompasses a rich tapestry of prosocial behaviors (Guzman & Cabrera, 2022). Expanding the indicators in future surveys will yield a more comprehensive understanding of civic engagement among CHCI alumni.
3.1 Social Cognitive Career Theory & sources of self-efficacy
The social cognitive career theory (SCCT) (Lent et al., 1987, 1994) and Bandura’s (1986, 1994) theory of sources of self-efficacy are relevant given the vocational and educational nature of CHCI programs. Basically, SCCT postulates that organized contexts (e.g., internships) can provide positive learning experiences that help participants clarify their vocational goals, facilitate the selection of actions towards their attainment, while strengthening their confidence to pursue them (e.g., becoming self-efficacious).
Contextual influences can affect a person’s self-efficacy (Bandura, 1986, 1994). Four of them are relevant to this project: 1) vicarious experiences (e.g., seeing others succeeding in the task), 2) social persuasion (e.g., receiving positive feedback from people whose opinion one values), 3) reduction of stress (e.g., eliminating barriers to succeed in the task), and 4) mastery experiences (e.g., becoming an expert) (Buenaflor, 2021). Mastery experiences is the most important source of self-efficacy (Bandura, 1986). These experiences represent, after all, palpable evidence that the subject can accomplish tasks instrumental in the attainment of vocational and academic goals (Soffa, 2006).