February 2020: The NEPA Animal Welfare Collaborative includes animal shelters, rescues, advocates, and sanctuaries with the shared mission of advancing animal welfare causes and increasing associated resources. The Institute facilitated a strategic planning session for the collaborative to assist with the development of its strategic plan.
2020: The Institute prepared a formative and summative evaluation to assess the impact of the Rise and Ride program. Supports clients who are currently in a transitional stage of life by providing reliable transportation that will enable the client to break the cycle of poverty.
2020: The Institute prepared a formative and summative evaluation to assess the impact of the Building Confident Smiles program. During the pilot program, Building Confident Smiles provided restorative dental care to local women through Scranton Primary Health Care Center. It was funded through Women in Philanthropy (WIP) supporters.
2018 – 2019: Northeast Pennsylvania’s Equitable Transit Council is on a mission to strategically leverage partnerships and resources to better meet the region’s equitable transportation demands. The Institute supported this effort by conducting 12 focus groups to gather data regarding transportation barriers – particularly those faced by disadvantaged populations – and their impact on the community. Quantitative research supports the findings. The following phase of the project consisted of employee surveys within local businesses interested in addressing equitable transit for their workforces.
2018: The Institute created and implemented an evaluation process of the Foundation’s Capacity Building Initiatives.
2017: The Institute assisted in evaluating the best practices for deterring K-12 children from smoking and/or quitting and conducted an inventory survey of programs within Lackawanna County schools.
2017: The Institute evaluated and oversaw the STEAM Initiative over two years.
Dr. Jolene Carey-Pace joined The Institute Team in 2021 as a Research Analyst. In 2023, she was named Senior Research & Policy Analyst. 
Sarah, a former Institute intern, joined The Institute in April 2021 as a Research Assistant. She started her new role as a Research Analyst in January 2024. 
Ooms is responsible for all facets of research, organizational strategy, and management. Ooms is an active principal investigator in all Institute research. Ooms has been nationally recognized as a leader in regional economic development. She turned that skill into a research institute to help other regions develop and prosper. Her strategic skills have allowed The Institute to expand its services to the private and non-profit sectors for research and analysis in community health needs assessments, strategic planning, market and feasibility studies, and economic impact analysis.
Jill Avery-Stoss joined The Institute in June 2018 to fill the newly-created role of Research, Data, Intern & Administrative Coordinator. She assists with the collection and management of data for purposes of ethical and efficient analysis. She visits partner campuses to market The Institute’s internship opportunities, and participates in event-planning logistical activities as well. In 2021, Jill was promoted to Director of Operations to reflect the diversity in her job description and the additional marketing and communication functions she successfully mastered in 2020. In 2022, Jill was named Chief Operating Officer after expanding into both research and administrative management functions. Jill is taking on project management, fundraising, and other executive leadership functions of the organization. In 2024, Jill Avery-Stoss assumed the role of President of The Institute, effective January 2025.