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, Environmental Health / Built Environment, Children, Teens, Adults, Women, Men, Older Adults, Families, Urban
Goal: The goal of the Active Design Guidelines is to provide architects and urban designers with tools to create healthier buildings, urban spaces, and outdoor places based on current academic research and best practices.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Alternative Medicine
Goal: The mission of Acupuncturists Without Borders is to help alleviate suffering of people worldwide through community acupuncture treatment and training.
Filed under Effective Practice, Environmental Health / Toxins & Contaminants
Goal: The goal of Adopt-A-Highway programs is to improve the appearance of roadsides and to reduce the annual cost of picking up litter on the highway system.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Older Adults, Adults, Older Adults, Urban
Goal: Shepherd's Center Central is a local leader in the regional effort to ensure that all people can age successfully with dignity, security, and respect.
Impact: In 2016, Adventures in Learning experienced attendance of 80 members per week and offered a total of 520 classes during the four 10-week sessions available.
Filed under Effective Practice, Education / Student Performance K-12, Children, Teens, Families, Racial/Ethnic Minorities, Urban
Goal: The mission of Aim High is to inspire a life-long love of learning and instill a sense of community, opportunity, and respect so that students are prepared for success in school and life.
Filed under Effective Practice, Education / Student Performance K-12, Children
Goal: The goal of Aiming High is to increase the percentage of English learners scoring at or above proficient on California Standardized tests in language arts and math by three percentage points annually.
Filed under Good Idea, Environmental Health / Weather & Climate
Goal: The program aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address global warming on college campuses.
Filed under Effective Practice, Community / Crime & Crime Prevention, Children, Urban
Goal: Anchorage Youth Court gives youth offenders personal accountability; youth attorneys good training and the opportunity to make a significant difference in others' lives; and the public an effective and comprehensive public safety system.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Adolescent Health, Teens
Goal: To reduce the number of older adolescents who progress to established smoking.
Impact: The television component of the Massachusetts antismoking media campaign may have reduced the rate of progression to established smoking among young adolescents.
Filed under Good Idea, Community / Civic Engagement, Children, Urban
Goal: The overall goals of Kid2Kid are to: enable children to become responsible, caring world citizens by assisting them to develop compassion and empathy for other children around the world; increase students' global awareness and cultural understanding, while strengthening social studies and geography content knowledge; provide support, acknowledgement, encouragement and hope for traumatized children worldwide; encourage peace in the world, promote non-violence, and initiate pro-social behavior, among all children worldwide; facilitate an on-line culture learning process, whereby participating Kid2Kid children will learn about themselves and others around the world on a deep, meaningful level; and encourage and improve Kid2Kid children's artistic and communicative skills as well as provide an outlet for emotional expression.