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 Evidence-Based Practice, Community / Transportation, Adults, Families, Urban
Goal: The goal of Travel Blending® Program is to reduce personal vehicle use.
Impact: The Travel Blending program reduced car trips, car kilometers, and hours spend in the car.
Filed under Good Idea, Environmental Health / Built Environment, Children
Goal: The goal of the Greening Canada’s Schools Grounds Program is to replace schoolyard asphalt with vegetation in order to enhance its play, educational, ecological and aesthetic value for school children.
Filed under Effective Practice, Community / Transportation, Adults, Urban
Goal: Toronto’s “Turn it Off” initiative sought to encourage motorists to avoid idling their cars when picking up or dropping off at school or at public transportation terminals, which in turn would improve air quality and help reduce urban contribution to climate change.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Adolescent Health
Goal: The goal of the Vera Casey Teen Parenting Program is to promote healthy teen parents and children by providing and coordinating comprehensive services supporting a healthy pregnancy, healthy children, and the well-being of the whole family.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Children's Health, Children, Teens, Families
Goal: The goal of We Can! is to bring families and communities together to promote healthy weight in children ages 8 through 13 through improved food choices, increased physical activity, and reduced screen time.
Filed under Effective Practice, Environmental Health / Air
Goal: The goal of a wood stove changeout campaign is to reduce the usage of inefficient wood stoves in order to improve air quality.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Physical Activity, Adults
Goal: To decrease total and saturated fat intake, serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, and body weight.
Impact: The dietitian-delivered intervention effectively improved the care of patients with hyperlipidemia.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Community / Public Safety, Children, Teens, Adults, Families, Urban
Goal: The goals of this program are three-fold: first, to remove unwanted improperly stored guns from homes; second, to educate the community about the increased risk of gun-related injuries in the home and the importance of safe gun storage; and third, to identify individuals possessing improperly stored guns at home and provide them with safety information and alternatives.
Impact: This program shows a strong collaboration between health care providers and public safety offices and showcases a low-cost means of removing unwanted firearms from the community. Additionally, most participants felt their homes were safer after turning in their firearm(s).
Filed under Effective Practice, Education / Student Performance K-12, Children
Goal: The McLean County program's mission is "to offer young people a once in a lifetime opportunity to build their futures and their communities through education, leadership development, job training, and the rehabilitation and production of affordable housing, while keeping a profound respect for and a commitment to real partnership with youth."
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Older Adults, Older Adults
Goal: The Matter of Balance/Volunteer Lay Leader (MOB/VLL) program is designed to reduce the fear of falling, stop the fear of falling cycle, and improve the activity levels among community-dwelling older adults. The goal of the program is to use volunteer lay leaders as facilitators, in order to make the program affordable to offer in the community setting.
Impact: When following up one year after the program, participants reported significant gains in fall management and there was a trend to increased exercise level as well. In addition, participants sustained a reduction in monthly falls.