PROSPER supports partnerships linking Extension personnel,
public school staff, state prevention specialists,
prevention researchers, and other interested community partners.  

PROSPER Partners

These partnerships are designed to implement scientifically-tested
programs that promote positive youth development and strong families,
and prevent youth problem behaviors.

Extensive Data collection activities are conducted with students,
families, partnership members, and others in order to address the
primary PROSPER research question.


PROSPER partnerships utilize local community teams, led by extension
and school co-leaders, that are linked to university researchers 
via prevention coordinators.

A total of 28 communities/school districts (14 in Iowa and 14 in 
Pennsylvania) are currently participating in the PROSPER project.

7 communities in each state were randomly assigned to the PROSPER 
partnership condition, while the remaining 14 communities were 
assigned to a wait-list control condition. 

The project focuses on two successive cohorts of public school 
6th graders in participating communities (over 12,000 students).
Partnership-assisted school-based and family-focused preventive
interventions are delivered in partnership condition communities.
The preventive interventions delivered were selected by local 
partnership teams from a menu of empirically-supported programs. 

PROSPER Timeline

Training and technical assistance needed for the 
delivery of the selected programs is provided through the PROSPER 
partnership structure, with Prevention Coordinators serving as 
the liaisons between the local and university researcher teams.