The three-year Learning through Engineering Design and Practice program (funded by the National Science Foundation) offers seventh and eighth grade students non-formal education experiences. The program includes an after-school component where participants learn engineering and information technology skills through activities such as simulating desert tortoise behaviors, researching and developing designs to mitigate the urban heat island, and designing autonomous rovers capable of navigating Mars-like terrain. They also participate in leadership development activities including summer activities serving as docents for younger children at the local science center and internships with a local water conservation project. The presentation discusses the evaluation approaches used to investigate what students are learning, the differences in curriculum for out-of-school versus in-school programs, and issues of sustainability of the work. The evaluation blends external and embedded evaluation and is grounded in supportive relationships between the evaluators and the program director.#Prek-12EducationalEvaluation #2009Conference #Evaluation2009