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 Good Idea, Economy / Housing & Homes, Older Adults, Urban
The goal of renewal house is to reduce homelessness of older individuals in Greater Danbury Area, CT, by providing safe, secure housing, renewing a sense of hope, reinforcing self-worth and restoring dignity and confidence.
Filed under Good Idea, Community / Community & Business Resources, Women, Men, Families, Rural
The goal of the renovation of the Rock Island Railroad Depot was to revitalize the city of Liberal, Kansas.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Children's Health, Children, Teens, Urban
The primary goal of the School Lunch Initiative is to transform the way Berkeley public school students eat lunch and to educate children about food, health, and the environment.
Three years after its conception, the program successfully eliminated nearly all processed foods from the school district dining halls and introduced fresh and organic foods to the daily menu. There was evidence that greater exposure to the School Lunch Initiative was significantly associated with higher nutrition knowledge scores among fourth graders and seventh graders. Furthermore, elementary school students from the schools with highly developed School Lunch Initiative components clearly expressed a higher preference for fruits and vegetables.
Filed under Effective Practice, Community / Transportation, Children, Urban
The goal of the Springfield Safe Communities project was to reduce the number of alcohol-related traffic crash fatalities, and to increase seat belt use throughout the city and surrounding areas.
Filed under Effective Practice, Environmental Health / Toxins & Contaminants, Urban
The goal of this program is to provide a much-needed recycling service to the City of Chattanooga and the surrounding area while providing jobs for developmentally disabled adults.
Filed under Good Idea, Community / Social Environment, Children, Teens, Urban
Community Memorial Foundation's goal was two-fold: to decrease stigma surrounding youth depression and suicide and increase teen utilization of the Crisis Text Line.
An awareness campaign that incorporates age- and culturally-appropriate actors through various media can successfully increase teen and adolescent usage of a crisis text hotline.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Physical Activity
The goal of this program is to promote healthy eating in lower-income areas of Louiville. The initiative is part of a larger program with the goal of redesigning low-income urban neighborhoods to promote active living.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Physical Activity, Children
The project aims to promote a healthy lifestyle and reverse the trend of obesity among students and their families.
The ABC Fitness Program demonstrates the feasibility of bursts of structured physical activity for elementary school students with the beneficial effects on fitness and other health measures.
Filed under Effective Practice, Community / Social Environment, Children
The initiative's mission was to create a citywide system to support and sustain high-quality after-school programs.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Children's Health, Children
The goal of the Al's Pals program is to teach children how to practice positive ways to express feelings, relate to others, communicate, brainstorm ideas, solve problems, and differentiate between safe and unsafe substances and situations.
Studies have shown that the program resulted in higher degrees of positive change in the intervention groups, increases in prosocial behaviors and positive coping behaviors, and decreases in antisocial and negative coping behaviors.