Strategies

What Works for Health includes evidence-informed strategies to create communities where everyone can thrive.

89 Strategies
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Summer learning programs

Provide academic instruction to students during the summer, often along with enrichment activities such as art or outdoor activities
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Education

Tax increment financing (TIF) for affordable housing

Create designated tax districts that generate revenue to invest in affordable housing initiatives, blight remediation, and economic development efforts
Evidence Rating:
Expert Opinion

Community Conditions

  • Housing and transportation

Societal Rules

  • Budgets

Technology enhanced classroom instruction

Incorporate technology into classroom instruction via computer-assisted instruction programs, computer-managed learning programs, use of interactive white boards, etc.
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Education

Traffic calming

Modify the built environment to affect traffic speed and patterns via speed humps, pedestrian center crossing islands, roundabouts, etc.
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Housing and transportation

Trauma-informed schools

Adopt a multi-tiered approach within schools to address the needs of trauma-exposed youth, including school-wide changes, screenings, and individual intensive support
Evidence Rating:
Some Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Education
  • Safety and social support

Societal Rules

  • Institutional practices

Walking school buses

Arrange active transportation with a fixed route, designated stops, and pick up times when children can walk to school with adult chaperones
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Housing and transportation
  • Diet and exercise
  • Climate

Weatherization assistance program

Provide assistance to families with low incomes to make their homes more energy efficient and to permanently reduce their energy bills
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Housing and transportation

Youth civics education

Teach students attitudes, skills, knowledge, and behavior needed to participate in and contribute to a democracy
Evidence Rating:
Some Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Education
  • Civic and community resources

Societal Rules

  • Worldviews, culture and norms

Zoning regulation and land use policy reforms

Reform zoning regulations to remove exclusionary zoning codes, address physical environment aesthetics and safety, street continuity and connectivity, residential density, and mixed-use development, etc.
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Housing and transportation
  • Diet and exercise
  • Air, water and land
  • Climate

Societal Rules

  • Laws and policies