Unity has a full-time Evaluations Manager and a Programs & Evaluations Committee who are tasked with developing, implementing, revising and reporting on Unity’s long-term Evaluations Strategy. Unity’s Evaluations Manager is a BIPOC music producer and a former Unity youth with a background in youth programming and statistics. Unity’s Evaluations Committee is composed of youth, leadership staff and doctorates from the YMCA GTA, Layla, Boston Consulting Group and the UHN who bring their collective expertise on evaluations, mental health, research, education, and youth work to advise on Unity’s evaluations practices.

The primary objectives of our evaluations strategy are to:

• Build evidence for Unity’s “Hip Hop Meets Mental Health” resilience approach by gathering evidence for virtual and in-person program outcomes whilst refining our approach annually.
• Inform future programming by providing recommendations to Program Directors and front-line Program Staff based on youth feedback and data analysis.
• Identify areas of improvement in the evaluation process. That is, reviewing tools for data collection, methods for adapting survey language for various age groups, and more.
• Leverage evaluations data for internal & external reporting in the form of presentations, fiscal reports, and discussions that are held on a seasonal (quarterly) basis.
• Leverage evidence & reports to advocate for future funding opportunities that contribute to the sustainability of Unity’s resilience-building programs

One of Unity’s foundational values is Respect, and over the years we have always upheld a deep commitment to inclusion, diversity and equity.Unity approaches diversity and representation as a moving target--we’re aware that as our programming practices grow and our work takes us into relationships with new communities and groups, so too should our makeup evolve. We hire and recruit with a commitment to representation, thus remaining well-positioned to provide the most inclusive experiences that we can for our audiences, participants, partners and team.

Every member of Unity’s Staff, Artist Roster and Board of Directors, must participate in annual anti-oppression training, where we invite experienced facilitators to explore topics of oppression, privilege, power dynamics and equity. Unity demands that all those who contribute to the organization must be able to apply an understanding of what it means to hold inclusive spaces, and create environments through word and action that affirm and respect the lived experiences and identities of others.

Unity is also extremely representative in its makeup. Our board of directors benefits greatly from the perspectives of former program youth, community support allies, and professional Hip Hop Artists. Based on a recent survey of its staff and artists, Unity found that over 90% of its staff and artists self-identified as coming from Black, Indigenous and Communities of Colour, practiced an average of two Hip Hop art forms.Additionally, Unity has begun to do the work of hiring and recruiting staff, volunteers and artists to its roster in geographically diverse regions where it is putting down roots--a practice it will continue in its growth moving forward. We believe that investing in local Hip Hop economies through ongoing training and employment opportunities at every level is an important demonstration of our commitment to inclusivity and growth of the Hip Hop community as a whole