A formal evaluation of the Voyages program was conducted by Dr. Thomas Merluzzi of the University of Notre Dame. It attempted to document the changes that occurred for the boys involved as a function of the program. According to results, there were no significant differences, although Dr. Merluzzi named several reasons why that might be the case, some related to program characteristics (such as the short length of time the program ran, and the lack of resources to follow up on participants after the summer) and others related to the evaluation itself (the questionnaires may have been beyond the reading level of some participants, the evaluation tools may not have monitored the real changes that actually occurred).

Certainly, there is strong anecdotal support for the success of the program. A more qualitative questionnaire revealed that the boys valued the program, and especially enjoyed the field trips and museums. They liked learning about African American history, and seemed to be deeply impressed by the suffering and accomplishments of other African Americans. "For a few boys, the connection between their culture and their own behavior emerged," said Dr. Merluzzi, "Several boys indicated in the questionnaires that based on their exposure to African American history they had some behaviors to work on, such as ‘not fighting,’ controlling my temper,’ ‘act better in class,’ etc.."

A forty minute focus group with twelve Voyages program participants offered deep impressions that they carried as a result of the experience. One notable example was the fact that fights among the participants, which were frequent prior to the summer, were now almost non-existent, as they had developed a sense of camaraderie. Several of them had adopted strategies which helped them to avoid fighting, such as visiting Mr. Turner’s office as a way of preventing escalation. Other changes noted by the boys themselves, or school personnel included a greater propensity for the participants to apply themselves to schoolwork, improved social skills, and expanded horizons that show an inclusion of more positive goals than previously.

Ray recognizes Voyages 1998 as a valuable experience for future years. Continuing to struggle with evaluation methods and outcomes is on-going process, but the learning curve the first time around is high. "We know what we need to do differently," Ray said.