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, Education / Student Performance K-12, Children, Families, Urban
Goal: HIPPY programs empower parents as primary educators of their children in the home and foster parent involvement in school and community life to maximize the chances of successful early school experiences.
Filed under Effective Practice, Economy / Housing & Homes, Urban
Goal: The mission of Beyond Shelter is to develop systemic approaches to combat poverty and homelessness among families with children and enhance family economic security and well-being.
Filed under Good Idea, Education / Childcare & Early Childhood Education, Children, Families, Urban
Goal: The program’s goal is to provide comprehensive child development and family support services to families with children 0–3 in order for parents to support and encourage their children’s early growth, development and school readiness.
Filed under Effective Practice, Education / Literacy, Children, Families
Goal: The program's overall goal is to support parents in their role as their child's first teacher by providing parents with literacy training and children with early development skill building, including language skills.
Filed under Good Idea, Education / Childcare & Early Childhood Education, Children, Families, Racial/Ethnic Minorities, Urban
Goal: The program’s overall goal is to prepare children and their families for successful entrance into kindergarten through full-day, center-based early childhood education and family support services.
Filed under Good Idea, Environmental Health / Built Environment, Children
Goal: The goal of the In Our Own Back Yard program is to cultivate connection to, comfort in, and informed appreciation of the outdoors among participants.
Filed under Effective Practice, Environmental Health / Wildlife, Rural
Goal: The goal of this program is to provide greater wildlife habitat value on agricultural lands without significantly affecting crop production.
Integrating Community Service with Higher Education Student Government Programming (Sonoma County, CA)
Filed under Good Idea, Community / Civic Engagement, Teens
Goal: The goal is to integrate community service programs at colleges and universities into the programming objectives of student government organizations in order to achieve greater student involvement and more stable funding.
Filed under Effective Practice, Community / Crime & Crime Prevention, Children
Goal: The goal of this program is to reduce recidivism rates for serious felony juvenile offenders.
Filed under Effective Practice, Community / Crime & Crime Prevention, Children, Teens
Goal: The goal of this program is to prevent recidivism among juvenile offenders placed on probation for known gang-related behavior or substance abuse offenses.