*This blog was originally published on Valeo’s website on March 25, 2024.
We are Kelly Robertson and Lori Wingate, long-time members of the EvaluATE team. Together we’ve created many EvaluATE resources. This experience has taught us a lot about how to teach people about evaluation in a practical, straightforward manner. We leveraged those lessons learned as we developed courses for the Western Michigan University Evaluation Center’s online training program, Valeo (vuh-LAY-oh).
Based largely on our experience with EvaluATE, Valeo is suite of self-paced courses on program evaluation. We integrated evaluation theory, proven practices, and insights from experienced evaluators to create succinct, engaging courses designed for working professionals (not for academic credit). Valeo’s courses will complement what you’re learning about evaluation from EvaluATE and other great sources.
Whatever your experience level in evaluation, Valeo can help you fill your knowledge gaps, upskill, and elevate your practice through short, focused courses you can complete when it’s convenient for you. Valeo’s courses get to the heart of what you need to know and be able to do so you can plan, conduct, and use evaluation. After completing any of Valeo’s online courses, you’ll earn a certificate summarizing what you learned.
Courses Available Now
Valeo is launching with three courses:
- Introduction to Evaluation: Learn the core concepts and essential practices of evaluation to establish a solid foundation for enhancing your evaluation skills and fluency. Length: 45-60 minutes. Cost: $25. Watch the course video and learn more about the introduction course.
- Developing Evaluation Plans for Grant Proposals: Learn the key steps for strengthening your funding proposal with a compelling evaluation plan. Length: 45-60 minutes. Cost: $65. Watch the course video and learn more about the proposal course.
- Theoretical Approaches to Program Evaluation: Learn about six program evaluation approaches to strengthen your evaluation practice and expand your thinking. Length: 3-4 hours. Cost: $300. Continuing education units (CEUs) are available for this course. Watch the course video and learn more about the theory course.
Our long-term plan is to offer courses about all aspects of evaluation practice.
What’s Special About Valeo
- Just-in-time Learning: Valeo courses are self-paced, so they can be completed when it’s most convenient for you, the learner, and when you need the information.
- Practical: Valeo’s courses focus on what you need to know to get the job done. All courses contain examples and downloadable guides that help you apply what you learn on the job.
- Painless learning that sticks: Valeo courses feature engaging exercises to help you apply what you learn right away to foster deeper learning. We strive to make all content as concise and easy-to-understand as possible. Content is delivered using best practices for adult learning in mind and not just based on what some “expert” wants to talk about.
Learn More About Who is Behind Valeo
Valeo is powered by The Evaluation Center at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Valeo is the latest development in the center’s long history of offering practical, accessible, high-quality materials and activities to help people conduct and use evaluations.
Kelly Robertson and Lori Wingate are spearheading Valeo’s content development—together, we have about 45 years of experience in the program evaluation field. We are partnering with instructional design experts at Allen Interactions (shout out to Jen Driscol!). We look forward to collaborating with other evaluation experts to develop new courses.
Kelly Robertson 
Principal Research Associate, The Evaluation Center, Western Michigan University
Kelly has a Ph.D. in evaluation and more than eight years of experience in the field of evaluation. She works as a Senior Research Associate at The Evaluation Center at Western Michigan University. Dr. Robertson has worked on evaluations at the local, regional, national, and international levels, spanning a wide variety of sectors (e.g., STEM education, adult education, career and technical education, and evaluation capacity development). Her research interests primarily focus on evaluation as it relates to equity, cultural competence, and making evaluation more user-friendly. She, along with Dr. Lori Wingate, led the development of The Evaluation Center's online training program, Valeo (valeoeval.com).
Lori Wingate
Executive Director, The Evaluation Center, Western Michigan University
Lori has a Ph.D. in evaluation and more than 20 years of experience in the field of program evaluation. She is co-principal investigator of EvaluATE and leads a variety of evaluation projects at WMU focused on STEM education, health, and higher education initiatives. Dr. Wingate has led numerous webinars and workshops on evaluation in a variety of contexts, including CDC University and the American Evaluation Association Summer Evaluation Institute. She is an associate member of the graduate faculty at WMU. She, along with Dr. Kelly Robertson, led the development of The Evaluation Center's online training program, Valeo (valeoeval.com)
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EvaluATE is supported by the National Science Foundation under grant number 1841783. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed on this site are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.