Collaborative evaluation as a catalyst for psychological well-being: A qualitative study of students stress, belonging, and empowerment

First-generation, low-income students often experience a unique array of psychological, academic, and emotional challenges that impact both academic retention and well-being. While federally funded programs provide crucial academic and structural support, their evaluations have historically prioritized quantifiable academic outcomes, often overlooking students’ psychosocial development. This qualitative study addresses this gap by embedding the Model for Collaborative Evaluations (MCE) into an evaluation of a pre-college support initiative for first-generation and low-income students. It also examines the extent to which the evaluation process contributed to students’ psychological well-being.  This study explored whether the collaborative evaluation process supported stress regulation, sense of belonging, and empowerment. Data were drawn from a year-long engagement with high school students and three program staff members using in-depth interviews, participant journals, and focus group transcripts. The findings, analyzed using Braun and Clarke thematic analysis approach, revealed that the evaluation process was perceived by participants as beneficial. Students described the evaluation sessions as safe spaces for self-expression and emotional reflection, allowing them to reconceptualize their stress as communal rather than isolating. This paper contributes to the evaluation and psychology literature by reframing evaluation as a psychosocial process that promotes resilience and self-efficacy in underserved youth. Key words: Collaborative evaluation, psychological well-being, first-generation students, empowerment, belonging, stress reappraisal, qualitative research.