News

At TCEC, we're always looking for ways to improve the work we do. A big part of this is learning about new tools in the fields of research and evaluation!

Recently, I've been exploring and comparing different programs for coding qualitative data. This got me thinking about how we choose the best tool for data analysis. 

Looking forward to camp is such a vividly familiar and nostalgic feeling that I haven’t had since middle school. And it’s definitely not one I thought I would ever feel again…especially in any professional capacity or in the context of tobacco prevention. But as I was preparing my presentation for the California Youth Advocacy Network (CYAN) Statewide Youth Advocacy Conference (SYAC) this past July, there it was again: that unmistakable excitement and anticipation of getting ready to go to camp.

In April, I attended the 2026 American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting in Los Angeles. This year’s theme was “Unforgetting Histories and Imagining Futures: Constructing a New Vision for Education Research.” I was lucky to present two of my own research papers and attend sessions on a wide range of topics. I came home with a few ideas about how we think about our work in tobacco prevention and evaluation.

After a major data collection campaign (like the End Commercial Tobacco Campaign!), it's important to take some time to celebrate your hard work! Then, the inevitable question arises: Now what? 

The good news is, you can keep the celebratory energy going even in the analysis and reporting phase! One of our favorite ways to do this is by holding a data party.

As we race toward the end of June, California's local lead agencies are crossing the finish line of Wave 3 of ECTC data collection. We at TCEC have been excited to see all the Retail, MUH, Park, and Sidewalk data coming in!

Congratulations, and a huge thanks to all the LLAs and local data collection teams for your amazing efforts in collecting Wave 3 of the ECTC observations!   

Hello everyone! 

May is cherry-picking season, and my family loves visiting the cherry farms in Brentwood, California, where we get our fill of “tasting” plump, fresh cherries as we gather bags and bags to take home to eat fresh or make into other goodies like smoothies and cobbler. Interestingly, there’s a really narrow window of time when cherries can be harvested!

Earlier this year, TCEC rolled into a new contract, which runs through 2030! It is our privilege to continue serving CTPP-funded projects and providing consistent support for all your evaluation needs. If this is “BRAND NEW INFORMATION,” then allow us to detail the ways your Friends at TCEC will continue to be there for you! 

Accessibility is something we typically talk about in the context of buildings, transportation, and public spaces, but it applies just as much to the documents and digital materials we produce every day.