PENN STATE SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY PROJECT

The PA Sustainable Community Project goal is to foster the positive growth and development of middle-school youth by strengthening families, building skills, and reducing youth problem behaviors (e.g., substance use, violence, and other problems). The National CYFAR Outcome being addressed is School Age Youth (k-8). One major aspect of this project involves strengthening the parent-adolescent relationship because of its importance in fostering youth?s resilience. To meet this goal, the evidence-based partnership model, PROSPER (PROSPER: PROmoting School-community university Partnerships to Encourage Resilience) will be employed in two communities within Westmoreland County. PROSPER links three existing infrastructure systems (land-grant universities, Cooperative Extension System, and public school system) to deliver evidence-based prevention programs that enhance the resiliency of youth and their families. Through these linkages, PROSPER strengthens the expertise and broadens the resources of community teams to implement high-quality coordinated school- and family-focused programs. The community teams are led by Extension educators and comprised of representatives from public schools, community service agencies, parents, and youth. PROSPER community teams implement one evidence-based family program for youth in sixth grade and a complementary evidence-based school program in grade seven. PROSPER is more than implementing evidence-based programs, it is a prevention support system that includes: ongoing, proactive technical assistance; support and oversight provided by Extension-led community teams; and the use of evidence-based family and school programs. With these elements PROSPER has resulted in positive significant impacts for youth and their families and long-term sustainability when compared to traditional program implementation by a community-based agency.