Abundantia is the lead evaluator for the Poder Popular component of The California Endowment's Agricultural Workers Health Initiative (AWHI). AWHI is a multi-year, $50 million investment initiated in 1999. Poder Popular is the place-based component of AWHI that seeks to improve the health of agricultural workers and their families in two California counties. Initiative strategies include promoting civic engagement and community efficacy, increasing awareness of occupational safety and health hazards, and strengthening connections between community-based organizations.
Abundantia's evaluation methods include Photovoice and digital storytelling, interviews and focus groups, social network analysis, and participant observation. Photovoice and Digital Storytelling projects undertaken by the Poder Popular evaluation team ensured that the perspectives of traditionally under-represented community members, such as women and youth, were represented in the Poder Popular baseline assessment. These innovative, participatory research tools resulted in a DVD developed by community youth, in collaboration with our evaluation team, to document the lives and hopes of youth.
To ensure accurate and ongoing data collection with a grassroots perspective, Abundantia field staff members working on AWHI are bilingual Spanish speakers who live in the Central Valley and Central Coast counties of California.
