AEA 2011 Presentation by: Amelia E Maynard, University of Minnesota, mayn0065@umn.edu Jean A King, University of Minnesota, kingx004@umn.edu The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which an evaluation training program can be used to create influence and lead to social betterment in a specific geographical context. The Evaluation Fellows Program (EFP) at the University of Minnesota is a unique training that brings together evaluators, practitioners, policy makers, and funders around a specific content area such as school reform to develop an understanding of each role and thus improve future evaluations, policies, and programs in that topical area. Unlike other training programs, EFP does not focus on creating professional evaluators, but rather in developing knowledge of how evaluation can be used for improvement. This paper expands Kirkhart's theory of evaluation influence to training and provides an example of such influence through research on the outcomes of the first two EFP cohorts. #2011Conference #TeachingofEvaluation