Colorado Collaboratory on Equitable Inquiry
Advancing equitable evaluation through shared inquiry, practice, and community.
The Colorado Collaboratory on Equitable Inquiry is a co-created space for Colorado-based learning and evaluation practitioners to explore and advance equity in their work. Through shared learning, reflection, and collaboration, we challenge traditional approaches and build a more just and inclusive learning and evaluation field.
Whether you’re new to this work or a seasoned practitioner, the Collaboratory supports you in asking new questions, challenging assumptions, and taking meaningful action toward more equitable evaluation practices.
Watch this video to learn more about who we are and how we work. Apply to join the Collaboratory here.
The Collaboratory brings evaluators together to:
- Build a shared understanding of what equitable evaluation looks like in practice
- Examine the roles of power, systems, and worldviews in evaluation
- Explore and test approaches that shift evaluation toward equity
- Learn from one another across disciplines, geographies, and lived experiences
The Collaboratory welcomes:
- New practitioners seeking a starting point for equitable evaluation
- Experienced professionals ready to deepen or evolve their practice
- Practitioners based in Colorado, as certain programs and opportunities may be prioritized for local participation
All evaluators—regardless of experience, setting, or background—are encouraged to join.
Our engagement is grounded in shared values that guide how we learn and practice together:
Listening and Learning
We center the voices and experiences of communities most impacted by inequities and rethink traditional ideas of objectivity.
Challenging the Status Quo
We explore multiple ways of knowing and rethink what rigor means within diverse cultural and community contexts.
Examining Power
We surface how power operates in ourselves, our organizations, and the systems we evaluate, and imagine how it can shift to advance equity.
Practicing Systems Thinking
We look beyond individual-level explanations and consider historical, structural, and contextual forces shaping inequities.
Allowing for Vulnerability
We embrace self-reflection and honesty, creating space for sharing challenges, learnings, and growth.
Holding Each Other Accountable
Good intentions are not enough when communities of color and other marginalized groups are under assault on a daily basis. In our practice of equitable evaluation we seek to hold ourselves, and the systems and programs we evaluate, accountable for working toward a more just, equitable world.
Members of the Collaboratory commit to:
Taking Action
Engaging actively, participating in programming, and applying learning in real contexts.
Continuous Learning
Staying open, curious, and responsive to new ideas and perspectives.
Building Trust & Vulnerability
Creating a space where questions, failures, and uncertainties can be shared without judgment.
Respecting Confidentiality & Consent
Honoring what is shared in the group and seeking permission before sharing externally.
Ready to Join the Collaboratory?
We welcome evaluators from across Colorado to apply.
Apply to Join the Colorado Collaboratory on Equitable Inquiry
Learn More About Equitable Evaluation
Deepen your understanding and strengthen your practice of equitable evaluation with these resources:
- Equitable Evaluation Initiative & Framework™ – Discover the guiding principles and approaches shaping equitable evaluation nationwide.
- Racial Equity in Evaluation Guides – Access practical tools and strategies from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to integrate equity into your evaluation work.