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 Reconnecting Youth program has three main goals: 1) increase school performance; 2) decrease drug involvement; and 3) decrease suicide-risk behaviors.
Impact: Significant increases in positive connections with teachers, friends, and family members; significant improvements in GPA; lasting reductions in hard drug use; decreases in anger-control problems; reductions in depression and hopelessness; and increases in enhancing personal control were observed.
Filed under Effective Practice, Education / Student Performance K-12, Children, Teens
Goal: The goal of Ripple Effects is to use technology to prevent social injury and promote school and life success for children and teenagers.
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 Good Idea, Health / Older Adults, Older Adults
Goal: The Safe at Home program makes modifications and accessibility improvements in the homes of low-income elderly homeowners in order to avoid injury and nursing home placement.
Filed under Effective Practice, Community / Public Safety, Children, Families
Goal: The goal of the program is to promote child passenger safety by teaching parents and caregivers how to correctly use car seats, booster seats and seat belts.
Filed under Effective Practice, Community / Transportation, Children, Families
Goal: The goal of the Safe Routes to School program is to empower communities to make walking and bicycling to school a safe and routine activity.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Physical Activity, Children
Goal: School Food FOCUS is a national collaborative that leverages the knowledge and procurement power of large school districts to make school meals nationwide more healthful, regionally sourced, and sustainably produced.
Impact: School Food FOCUS helps partners procure healthy and sustainable school foods, works towards policies that advance healthy school foods, and facilitates knowledge sharing around school food issues.
Filed under Effective Practice, Environmental Health / Energy & Sustainability
Goal: The overarching purpose of the SMSI is to improve the quality of life for all people living and working in Seattle, within the means of nature.
Filed under Good Idea, Environmental Health / Toxins & Contaminants
Goal: Septic systems serve approximately 25 percent of the U.S. population and about 40 percent of new developments. The U.S. Census Bureau has indicated that at least 10 percent of septic systems have stopped working. Some communities report failure rates as high as 70 percent! The goal of this program is to improve the performance of decentralized septic systems.
Filed under Effective Practice, Environmental Health / Air
Goal: The goal of this partnership is to improve the environmental performance and fuel efficiency of the US freight sector (truck & rail) through the use of a voluntary market incentive system and to encourage retailers/end users to choose trucking and/or rail companies that are environmental leaders in their respective industry segments.