Promise Neighborhoods
Operation UNITE is implementing two Promise Neighborhoods in collaboration with Partners for Education at Berea College – one in Knox County and the second in Perry County – through U.S. Department of Education Innovation and Research grants.
The focus of these grants is to determine if the evidence-based Too Good for Drugs™ (TGFD) curriculum, offered by the Mendez Foundation, is an effective and affordable intervention tool for elementary-aged children.
The TGFD prevention program promotes life skills, character values, resistance skills to negative peer influence, and resistance to the misuse and abuse of prescription and/or illegal drugs, alcohol and tobacco. UNITE has significant experience in implementing TGFD in Appalachian Kentucky schools for the past decade through its UNITE Service Corps.
UNITE has seen positive results in students who have taken the curriculum, but had not performed formal research studies. UNITE would like to expand and refine the TGFD program, as well as have the opportunity to validate its hypotheses regarding the positive impacts of TGFD.
Vision
That all children and youth growing up in Promise Neighborhoods have access to great schools and strong systems of family and community support that will prepare them to attain an excellent education and successfully transition to college and a career.
Knox Promise Neighborhoods program began in July 2017.
Through June 1, 2019, there have been 770 students involved with the Too Good For Drugs program.
Contact: Benji Hammons
Perry Promise Neighborhoods program began in January 2019.
Through June 1, 2019, there have been 227 students involved with the Too Good For Drugs program.
Contact: Amy Ritterholz
