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.
Peers Reaching Out and Modeling Intervention Strategies (PROMISE) (Texas, Colorado, California, New York, Washington)
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Immunizations & Infectious Diseases, Urban
Goal: The goal of Community PROMISE is to encourage HIV prevention practices.
Impact: PROMISE leads to significant community-wide progress toward consistent HIV risk reduction.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Cancer, Children, Families
Goal: The main objective of Pool Cool is to increase awareness, motivation, and sun protection practices among children ages 5-10 who take swimming lessons.
Impact: The Pool Cool program had significant positive effects on children's use of sunscreen and overall sun-protection habits at swimming pools.
Filed under Good Idea, Education / Educational Attainment
Goal: The goal of the Posse Foundation is to provide top institutions with a selection of exemplary students from diverse backgrounds that they can recruit, improve the college environment for students of all backgrounds, and help Posse Scholars graduate and find leadership positions in the workforce.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Economy / Employment, Adults, Families
Goal: The goal of the PASS Program is to promote job retention and advancement among individuals leaving the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program.
Impact: The PASS program did not meet the goal of having its participants retain their initial jobs. However, PASS did result in PASS participants being more likely to find new jobs (occasionally with higher earnings) after having lost or moved on from previous jobs.
Filed under Effective Practice, Community / Social Environment, Families
Goal: The goal of this program is to promote positive marital relationships and to prevent marital problems.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Mental Health & Mental Disorders, Children
Goal: The goal of this program is to prevent and control depression among children.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Physical Activity, Adults, Racial/Ethnic Minorities
Goal: The goal of Project Dulce is to improve the lives of people with diabetes through culturally appropriate, community-based diabetes management, education, and support programs.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Alcohol & Drug Use, Children, Teens
Goal: The goal of this program is to prevent or reduce tobacco use among children and adolescents.
Impact: One study found that Project the project reduced initiation of cigarette smoking in the two years following the program by 26% when compared to a control group. Students showed increased knowledge of tobacco addiction, related diseases, and media influences and had improved communication, refusal, and coping skills.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Cancer, Women, Racial/Ethnic Minorities
Goal: The goal of this program is to encourage low-income African American and Hispanic women to seek early breast and cervical cancer screening.
Filed under Effective Practice, Education / Literacy, Children, Families, Urban
Goal: The mission of Reach Out and Read is to help prepare young children to succeed in school, by partnering with physicians to encourage parents and children to read aloud together.