The article describes a prevention science approach to impacting population health. We use activities of the Missouri Prevention Science Institute that address youth mental health concerns with a public health approach to illustrate the approach. In particular, we focus on several lessons that may be relevant for advancing the success of…

Although there are over 320,000 health and fitness apps available on major app stores, there is scant evidence that they actually promote a healthier lifestyle, assist users in exercising, or promote weight loss. This article presents a lesson plan using an Arduino for integrating computational thinking and game design with middle school students…

The concept of the Citizen Scholar highlights the potential for universities to act as vehicles for social change by supporting the development of active, engaged graduates who are geared to respond to current and future global challenges. This demands a radical shift in teaching towards more interactive pedagogies, which may prove difficult for…

This brief explains what health literacy skills are and why they are important. It describes what skills students need for health literacy and provides tips for integrating health literacy in the adult education classroom.

International educational consultation is challenging work that requires not only attention to best practices in consultation but also additional focus on cultural norms and regularities. In the three articles of this special issue, the consultation competencies of consultants play a critical role, as exemplified by entry issues, problem-solving…

The Agatston Urban Nutrition Initiative (AUNI) presents a fruitful partnership between faculty and students at a premier research university and members of the surrounding community aimed at addressing the problem of childhood obesity. AUNI uses a problem-solving approach to learning by focusing course activities, including service-learning, on…

Life Skills Education (LSE) is a novel promotional program that teaches generic life skills through participatory learning methods of games, debates, role-plays, and group discussion. Conceptual understanding and practicing of the skills occurs through experiential learning in a non-threatening setting. Such initiatives provide the adolescent with…

More and more communities are rallying together to solve their own problems. These broad-based initiatives are illustrations of the international healthy communities movement. The healthy communities movement emerged from the World Health Organization in 1986 and has quickly spread across the globe. A cornerstone of the movement is the Ottawa…

Discusses the application of training in social problem solving with family caregivers of persons who have incurred severe physical disabilities. Outlines training procedures (i.e., Project FOCUS) that enable counselors to assist family caregivers in developing effective problem-solving skills that may translate to increased wellness for each…

This article describes the nutrition component of a Home and Career Skills curriculum at Hommocks Middle School (Larchmont, NY) that includes the Breakfast Cafe Webquest, which encourages 7th graders to increase the amounts of fruits and vegetables in their diets as well as reduce serving sizes. Using this Webquest, students "help the Breakfast…

Community organizing can encompass coalition building or community development, each of which represents steps in getting something done in a community. Before undertaking a project, it is important to figure out the exact problem the community is trying to address. From there, it can be determined how to address it, who else will be involved, and…

According to the United States Department of Labor, 73% of drug users in 1997 were employed. Numerous studies, reports, and surveys suggest that substance abuse is having a negative effect on the workplace in terms of decreased productivity; increased accidents; absenteeism; turnover; and medical costs. However, workplace substance abuse is a…

In 2005, the Children's Aid Society launched The African American Male Initiative to respond to the growing concern for the status of African American males and to bring about change. The initiative aims to: (1) more fully understand the issues facing our Black male clients and (2) create new program strategies that will better address the needs…

Prevention is the ultimate key to reversing the upward trend in the use of drugs and to empowering communities to address their drug problems. An essential factor is the development and implementation of initiatives to prevent illicit drug use. A goal of prevention for youth is to provide them with a set of skills and tools to help them resist the…

This paper examines nine school-based peer mediation and conflict resolution projects supported by four state health departments, describing differences in targeted students, project consultants, teacher and student training, teaching methods, curriculum content, mediation format, complementary strategies, project cost, and project evaluation. (SM)