Twice As Smart Research
Research conducted to help advocate for and promote the enrichment program, Twice As Smart.
Overview
Project: Conducting research for the non-profit, Twice As Smart
Role: Sole Researcher
Timeline: 17 hours
Tools used: Google Sheets, Census Data, Other Government Released Data
Background
While learning more about UX research, I found that these skills could be a huge benefit to other organizations who are looking for someone to conduct basic research. I found the company, Twice As Smart through a volunteer website and applied to help them research facts that would directly advocate and promote Twice As Smart.
Problem & Solution
Twice As Smart was started by a music teacher in Massachusetts, Gloria Matlock. While teaching, she took her students to the public library and asked them to read aloud and found that none of the students could read. Gloria began the Enrichment program, Twice As Smart, outside of her home and it has grown into an enrichment program that serves children who are lacking consistent, educational and cultural experiences directly related to them.
I was asked to conduct research about the community’s demographics, the recent immigration influx, and other organizations in the Greenfield, MA area that are similar to Twice As Smart.
Empathize
Research Approach
I wanted to make sure I found data about the community of Greenfield, MA and how the housing, income, and recent immigration influx has affected the community. Then I narrowed my search down to the facts that would directly effect the school-aged children of Greenfield, such as, other enrichment programs are available to students in the area.
Greenfield, MA
I started off by looking up some general facts about Greenfield so I could understand what the community is like. Below are a few of the more important facts that helped me learn about the community.
Housing
As most Americans know, there is a housing crisis in most cities in the U.S. This has greatly affected larger cities, such as Boston, as well as the smaller surrounding cities, like Greenfield.
After looking at some statistics, it is clear that the vacancy rate, or houses available to move into, were extremely low in the state of MA.
These statistics show how difficult and unstable the living situation is for some residents living in Massachusetts and the Greenfield area.
The housing market in Greenfield is much more difficult for minority residents, including new immigrants who are seeking emergency shelter.
With only 7% of houses available to incoming or moving residents, it makes finding housing at an affordable price frustratingly impossible.
This overly competitive housing market creates issues for homeowners and renters alike. It has made some residents leave the area for more affordable living conditions.
Next, I became curious about the income rates of Greenfield residents and how the housing crisis is effecting their annual financials.
Income
I quickly found that the median income of Greenfield households was less than I had expected it to be, especially with the housing market being so expensive for all households across the country.
When breaking down the income statistics by race, there was a shocking gap between white residents and minority residents of Greenfield. All of the incomes were lower than the state average.
The graph below is divided by Greenfield residents by race in dark blue, and Massachusetts residents in yellow. I measured the annual household income in increments of $10,000.
The residents of Greenfield are making significantly less than others in the state while they are also having to pay for rising housing costs.
One group that could not be included in this graph is the increasing number of immigrants who are moving to Massachusetts.
Immigration
In recent years, Massachusetts has had a dramatic increase of incoming immigrants. This is due to two main reasons:
Massachusetts is the only state in the U.S. that is a right-to-shelter state, guaranteeing homeless families access to shelter.
Most of the immigrants are Haitian due to the ongoing violence happening in Haiti.
Some key facts I found out about immigrants in Massachusetts are;
Haitian immigrants were entering Massachusetts at an overwhelming rate. This exhausted state funds and resources quickly. Since Census data is not available for the year 2023, I found recent articles that gave me more insight into Massachusetts’ immigration situation.
After looking at immigration in the entire state, I dove deeper into immigration data that is specific to the Greenfield, Massachusetts area.
It is clear that the rush of immigrants has affected not only big cities in Massachusetts but also smaller towns like Greenfield. Inevitably all families of the Greenfield community will have to accommodate, including the children.
Student Population
All the previous research affects the children of the Greenfield area. Since this is the population that Twice As Smart focuses on, I wanted to find more facts about the school-age children of Greenfield.
Looking at the department of education, I found statistics about the Greenfield School District students.
Along with the general research I did, I dove deeper into my previous research on housing, income, and immigration and how it directly affects the students of Greenfield.
It is clear that the housing, income, and immigration in Greenfield is affecting how students are living and learning. The children are living in more unstable housing, with guardians who are earning less than the state average. In addition, schools are lacking the resources needed to help students, especially immigrants who may need different resources than Greenfield is accustomed to.
That is why enrichment programs like Twice As Smart are so important for the school-aged children of Greenfield.
Other Enrichment Programs
I next looked for programs in the area that are similar to Twice As Smart and completed a comparative analysis on the programs available.
From my analysis, Twice As Smart is unique to all other programs available to the Greenfield students. They are providing academic enrichment, involvement in the arts, mental health resources, and a way for children to explore their cultural identity.
I believe the most unique aspect of Twice As Smart is that they provide an education fund for the students and can earn $5 a week. When the students turn 18 and provide an education plan for their future, they can then have access to the funds provided from Twice As Smart.
Final Research
Organization of Research
To make all of this research easily accessible to the Twice As Smart organization, I put everything into a Google Sheet with multiple tabs. To view the actual research document, you can click the button below.
Presentation of Research
My last step was to present the information to a board member of Twice As Smart. I walked her through each section of information and shared several different file types of my research with her.
Reflection
What I Learned
I learned that I truly love helping organizations that are doing great things, especially for children and communities. They are really trying to make sure that even students who are in more transient situations are able to find community and a sense of self.
Next Steps
I will keep in contact with the board of Twice As Smart and provide any additional research if they need help in the future. I would love to expand my skills to other organizations that can help improve the day-to-day lives of communities and those who are coming into the community.