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The purpose of the PROSPER project is to promote the development
of sustainable partnerships among schools, communities and
universities, in order to facilitate the delivery of
scientifically-tested interventions designed to reduce adolescent
substance use or other problem behaviors and to promote youth
competence. The need for the PROSPER project is clearly indicated by
the alarming prevalence of youth substance use and related problems
in both rural and urban areas. In response, numerous programs and
practices intended to prevent youth substance use have been
developed and widely disseminated. However, few of these programs
have been carefully evaluated, and fewer still have been shown to be
effective when subjected to such evaluation. PROSPER will entail
sustainable linkages between the two existing systems for the
delivery of preventive interventions that have universal reach in
the United States, namely, the Cooperative Extension System and the
public school system--in order to support effective local delivery
of scientifically-tested programs and practices. More specifically,
it will promote the development of partnerships among school and
Cooperative Extension personnel, other community stakeholders, and
university prevention researchers knowledgeable about
scientifically-tested interventions. Through the development of
stable linkages among the Cooperative Extension staff, public school
personnel, and other local service providers and stakeholders,
up-to-date information on effective interventions and the necessary
resources to implement them will be available to assist communities
in applying interventions of their choice. The first phase of the
planned PROSPER project involves the development of
school/community-university partnerships in selected communities in
two states (Iowa and Pennsylvania). A randomized trial will evaluate
effectiveness on a range of outcomes, including youth competencies
and problem behavior reduction. Also, the relationship between
partnership functioning and intervention outcomes will be examined.
Using the first phase results as a guide, the second phase will
entail (a) an expansion to additional sites in Iowa and Pennsylvania
and, most importantly, (b) the gradual inclusion of an increasing
number of states, as part of a national network of partnerships.
http://PROSPER.PPSI.IASTATE.EDU |
