By Asst. Prof. Sarex Dalida Dipol, Jr.

Dr. Margen A. Java, former Director of the Office of Student Development Programs, served as the resource person for the seminar-training on impact study for outreach coordinators.

On April 22, 2026 (Wednesday), the Community Engagement and Service-Learning Center (CESLC) conducted a seminar-training on impact study for outreach coordinators from various colleges and units of the University. The activity aimed to enhance the coordinators’ skills in conducting project evaluation and impact studies of previously implemented community engagement programs.

Dr. Margen A. Java, former Director of the Office of Student Development Programs, served as the resource person. She emphasized the importance of project evaluation and impact studies in guiding future community engagements and extension initiatives. She noted that the results of such studies serve as a basis for improving and developing programs for future endeavors. Moreover, impact studies help determine whether resources are utilized effectively, interventions are appropriate, and the needs and satisfaction of partner communities are met.

Among the adopted communities that will undergo impact studies are the Ati Community in Barangay Lanit, Jaro, Iloilo City; the Anawim Community in Barangay Rumbang, Pototan; and the beneficiaries of the Project ETC-a program, which provides feeding programs and school supplies to adopted public schools, among others.

Indeed, conducting impact studies is a crucial initiative to ensure that University resources are properly utilized, the needs of beneficiaries and adopted communities are addressed, and the results contribute to the continuous development, improvement, and refinement of programs and services offered by the outreach office and the University as a whole.