Power to Prevent - National Diabetes Education Program - National ...

in the Forward/Introduction section to help you. You need to order materials at least 6 weeks before
the frst session to make sure that they arrive in time. All of the NDEP materials are included on the
accompanying CD-ROM for your convenience.
A Word About Evaluation
Once you have begun conducting the program, you will want to know what effect it is having. You
will no doubt want answers to the following questions: How can I tell if my program is working?
How can participants tell if they are making progress? How can my sponsoring organization show
that its activities are effective? In a word: evaluation.
Don’t let the word “evaluation” scare you. Your evaluation process does not need to be rigid;
progress can be defned and measured in many ways. Evaluation can help you assess general
reactions to your program so that you can modify the format or activities to meet participants’
needs. The NDEP developed evaluation tools specifcally for Power to Prevent when the curriculum
was pilot-tested. A set of evaluation questionnaires, revised after pilot-testing, is provided as part
of the curriculum. Each questionnaire is designed to test knowledge, attitudes, and confdence
about behavior change around the specifc topics covered in a particular session. You can use the
participants’ responses on the questionnaires for one session to help you plan the next session. For
example, if the evaluation questionnaires show little progress in knowledge and confdence, you
may want to have participants review particular concepts or practice certain skills. Photocopying
the evaluations and returning them to the participants will help them view their progress. They
will see how far they have come in expanding their knowledge and in changing their attitudes and
behaviors.
If your Power to Prevent sessions are sponsored by an organization, reporting the answers collected
by these evaluation tools may help demonstrate the value of these sessions or may uncover some
valuable “lessons learned.” This feedback may help you and the sponsoring organization improve
the program. The evaluation data may also be useful in requesting fnancial support or donations of
materials for future programs.
Contents of this Guide
This program leaders’ guide is provided to help you feel more comfortable with starting and
conducting a Power to Prevent program for individuals and families in your community and to
“walk you through” each step. Six general topics are covered:
Sessions Snapshot
The Sessions Snapshot section of this guide explains the concept “Small Steps. Big Rewards,”
which is the central theme of the Power to Prevent program. It lists the sessions and includes general
information about them.
Program Preparation
The Program Preparation section gives suggestions for identifying the target audience for your
program and for locating potential community partners who can support your efforts. It also
lists resources for how to use the media to promote your program.
NDEP Power to Prevent Program Leaders Guide 2