A project was developed to prevent problem behaviors in elementary school students. One of many projects initiated in recent years by the DePaul Mental Health Clinic, this project aims to create an ongoing, self-sustaining cmputer-assisted tutoring program at St. Mary of the Lake, a school located in Chicago's economically disadvantaged Uptown district. In the Comp-Tutor project, 6th- through 8th-grade students learn computer programming and tutoring skills and tutor 1st- through 4th-grade students. Most participants in the program had experienced academic or behavioral difficulties in school, and many of the tutors were reputed to be slow learners and disruptive students. However, program supervisors have enocuntered none of the rebellion or reluctance to learn that teachers often receive from troubled students. Most participants consistently exhibit cooperation and enthusiasm. During sessions, tutors spend 20 minutes working on their own programs and then spend the next 20 minutes helping younger students. Educational software used in the tutoring sessions is carefully selected, and teachers insure that the material is consistent with each child's educational needs. It appears that experience in the use of programming materials facilitates students' cognitive development and the tutoring experience enhances feelings of self-worth. Outcomes of the intervention suggest that projects such as this should be considered by mental health workers interested in making preventive, early interventions. (RH)