Using Data to Illuminate Education
Vela Institute is a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing access to evaluation, analytics and data tracking to education partners to improve student and community outcomes. Established in 2017, Vela Institute accomplishes its mission through applied research, data analytics, and the use of evidence-based practices.
Evaluation Reports
Supporting college access programs’ efforts to understand and demonstrate their impact.
Performance Insights
An All-in-One Data System Built by College Access Professionals, for College Access Professionals
Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 Integration
Performance Insights seamlessly integrates with your organization’s existing Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 accounts, allowing secure and easy sign-in.
Track Student Progress Via Milestone Plans
Performance Insights lets you create milestone plans to track your students' progress and ensure they meet key objectives throughout your program.
Track Match and Reimbursements
Use Finance Tracking to seamlessly manage the entire Match/Reimbursement lifecycle—from creation to certification, approval, and completion.
Annual Performance Report
Generating your APR is a breeze. Simply specify the targeted academic year, click the Run button, and you're all set!
Track Postsecondary Outcomes with NSC
Performance Insights can import NSC files and link information to the correct records, ensuring a streamlined and efficient process for tracking postsecondary enrollment outcomes.
Track Program Measures and Outcomes
Use the Measure and Indicator Dashboard to effortlessly monitor and assess your student services alignment.
Professional Development
Active Skill-Building Workshops
Work directly with Vela's team to solve real challenges facing your college access program. In these focused workshops (available online or in-person), we roll up our sleeves together to tackle specific problems your team is facing or build skills you need. Whether you're trying to boost student engagement, streamline your data collection, or strengthen your outreach strategies, we'll guide you through practical solutions using our Evidence-Based Problem-Solving approach.
Certification Courses
Build a strong foundation in college access best practices with our certification program. Through these structured courses, your team will master essential skills in data use, grant administration, and evidence-based practices. Whether you're building a new team or strengthening an experienced one, our certification program helps build both individual knowledge as well as your organization's overall capacity by developing a shared language and approach to problem-solving.
Our Services
External Evaluation
Supporting college access programs’ efforts to understand and demonstrate their impact.
Data Management
Making data accessible through our student data-tracking system, Performance Insights (Pi).
Professional Development
Increasing organizational capacity through our Evidence-Based Problem-Solving Framework.
Our Services
External Evaluation
Supporting college access programs' efforts to understand and demonstrate their impact.
Data Management
Making data accessible through our student data-tracking system, Performance Insights (Pi).
Professional Development
Increasing organizational capacity through our Evidence-Based Problem-Solving Framework.
Our Impact
$120 MIL+
Grant Money Raised
87.5%
Successful Grant Proposals
50+
Evaluations
20+
Partners
Our Data Management System
Our Take on Professional Development
Active Skill-Building Workshops
Work directly with Vela’s team to solve real challenges facing your college access program. In these focused workshops (available online or in-person), we roll up our sleeves together to tackle specific problems your team is facing or build skills you need. Whether you’re trying to boost student engagement, streamline your data collection, or strengthen your outreach strategies, we’ll guide you through practical solutions using our Evidence-Based Problem-Solving approach.
Certification Courses
Build a strong foundation in college access best practices with our certification program. Through these structured courses, your team will master essential skills in data use, grant administration, and evidence-based practices. Whether you’re building a new team or strengthening an experienced one, our certification program helps build both individual knowledge as well as your organization’s overall capacity by developing a shared language and approach to problem-solving.
Contact Us
Contact Us
Phone
(828) 719-7116
jennifer.wilson-kearse@velainstitute.org
Location
237 Chestnut Hill Dr. Boone, NC 28607
Data Security Policy
The security of your information is important to us. We take a number of organizational, technical and physical measures designed to protect the information we collect, both during transmission and once we receive it.
To see Vela’s summary of data practices and security policy, click here.