Promising Practices
The Promising Practices database informs professionals and community members about documented approaches to improving community health and quality of life.
The ultimate goal is to support the systematic adoption, implementation, and evaluation of successful programs, practices, and policy changes. The database provides carefully reviewed, documented, and ranked practices that range from good ideas to evidence-based practices.
Learn more about the ranking methodology.
Filed under Effective Practice, Education / Student Performance K-12, Teens
Goal: The program's main goal is to improve academic deficiencies. A secondary emphasis is to establish meaningful, long-term relationships between the participants and program Coordinators. Finally, the program encourages involvement and commitment to school and community.
Filed under Effective Practice, Community / Crime & Crime Prevention, Children, Teens
Goal: The goal of the program is to prevent young offenders from becoming chronic delinquents.
Filed under Effective Practice, Education / School Environment, Urban
Goal: The program’s goal is to make New York City public schools safe and supportive for all students and to have staff members who could support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) students.
Filed under Effective Practice, Community / Social Environment
Goal: The mission of the program is to work vigorously to free participants from the burden of welfare dependency, and achieve a better, happier lifestyle through self-sufficiency. It will serve the taxpayers of Riverside County by reducing welfare dependency, thus making tax dollars available for other expenditures and needs.
Impact: The program produced a large net savings to the government through increased tax revenues and reduced welfare and food stamps payments (as an estimate, $2.84 saved for every $1.00 invested over five years).
Filed under Effective Practice, Environmental Health / Energy & Sustainability, Adults, Rural
Goal: The goal of the Rural Energy for America Program is to increase clean energy production, efficiency savings, economic activity, and new jobs in rural areas.
Filed under Effective Practice, Community / Crime & Crime Prevention, Children
Goal: The program has two main focuses. The first is prevention of sexual, emotional, or physical abuse by people known to the child. The other focus of the program is safety around strangers.
Safe STEPS (Safe and Successful Transition of Elderly Patients Study) Intervention Program (PA, MD, NC)
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Older Adults, Older Adults
Goal: The goal of the program is to ensure effective discharge of patients from the hospital back to their homes, and to reduce 30-day hospital readmission.
Filed under Effective Practice, Environmental Health / Toxins & Contaminants, Urban
Goal: The goal of this program is to redistribute food waste to food banks, farmers, and compost.
Filed under Effective Practice, Education / School Environment, Children, Teens
Goal: This program's primary goals are to teach young people about emotions, including anger and aggression, and to help them recognize alternatives to violent behavior and aggressive responses.
Filed under Effective Practice, Education / Student Performance K-12, Children, Teens, Adults
Goal: The goal of the program is to make a positive difference in the lives of children, primarily through professionally guided one-to-one relationships with caring adults, and to assist them in achieving their highest potential, as they grow to become confident, competent and caring individuals.