Public Programs Evaluation for the Asian Pacific American Center

Program Strategy and Evaluation
Written By Katie Chandler

Client: Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center | Location: Washington, DC

 
 

We helped the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center develop public programs in support of a new exhibition and understand their impact in relation to broader institutional goals.

OVERVIEW

The Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center (APAC) opened its first museum exhibition in a decade—Sightlines: Chinatown and Beyond—in September 2024 with a residency at the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM). We conducted formative and summative evaluations to test ideas for associated public programs and to understand visitor experiences, as well as to build a base of knowledge about APAC’s audiences.

APPROACH

Our approach involved two phases of evaluation:

  • Formative evaluation focus groups with local and national general public and Asian American audiences

  • Summative evaluation surveys with program participants who attended a program between January and July 2025

CLIENT TAKEAWAYS

Formative and summative testing were essential for understanding how both the general public and Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) audiences responded to APAC’s ideas for programs related to their new Sightlines exhibition. Formative testing confirmed, as APAC already knew, that Asian American audiences were concerned about whose stories APAC will tell (and who will be left out). Beyond representation, many wanted to make sure that APAC lifts up nationally significant AANHPI achievements and individuals in its exhibitions and programs because they see these stories as important for elevating the general public’s awareness and appreciation of AANHPI communities: past, present, and future.

Moreover, we found that most audiences, but particularly Asian Americans audiences, have high expectations for APAC’s public programs to push beyond the familiar and stereotypical. During formative testing, audiences (especially Asian American audiences) were hyperaware of the potential for programs (like a martial arts program) to reinforce stereotypes if not executed carefully. They expected Smithsonian-affiliated programs to add dimension to any program by adding a twist or providing little known historical and cultural context. Promisingly, summative results indicate Sightlines public programs accomplished this, garnering positive reactions and high ratings from participants for visit experience and key messages.

Katie Chandler

Katie brings a decade of experience in market research and evaluation to her position as Senior Researcher at Kera Collective.

Katie’s love of anthropology, history, and applied research gives her a unique balance of curiosity about human thought and behavior and practicality to translate insights into meaningful actions. 

Katie enjoys using mixed methods to tease out the complexity and nuance in audiences’ experiences with museums and other informal learning organizations. She particularly enjoys working on projects that explore people’s relationship with the past and with the natural world.

She has published articles in several leading museum publications and frequently attends and presents at professional conferences like the American Association for State and Local History’s annual conference.  She currently serves as a reviewer for the Journal of Museum Education.

Outside the (home) office, Katie enjoys running and exploring Richmond’s many parks with her family and her dog.

Katie’s favorite museum at the moment is the Science Museum of Virginia.

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Evaluating Education Programs for the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center