• School and community members provide varied perspectives on community problems and populations at risk. They can play key roles in helping you conceptualize your needs assessment, they can provide a context for understanding the information you collect, and they may be able to direct you toward other assessment efforts that have already been undertaken in your community. In addition, partners can help you determine whether your community is ready to address a given problem or likely to support a particular type of program.

• Participation in a successful, multifaceted group often produces increased involvement and commitment. People who are engaged in a collaborative process will feel a greater sense of "ownership" of the prevention plan and will be more invested in obtaining positive outcomes. They will also be motivated and better prepared to make decisions about which prevention strategies or programs should be selected to meet identified needs.

• Partners bring a variety of complementary skills to support prevention efforts. A well-selected group of partners can provide you with access to many systems and resources that can help you get things done. For example, elected officials can host town meetings that allow you to share assessment findings; local artisans can help you design a newsletter; school committee members have the "know how" to influence policy change; area businesses can donate goods and services not allowable under your grant; and local graduate students can help you develop your evaluation plan. Ultimately, the more involvement school and community members have in the design and implementation of your prevention plan, the greater the likelihood that the research-based strategies you and your team select will be effective.

• Activities that are initiated and maintained through a deliberate planning effort are of higher quality than programs that are simply "installed" in the organization. Well-planned activities tend to possess many of the characteristics associated with higher-quality programming. These include a high level of local staff participation, more and better training, greater standardization, and a higher degree of supervision. They are also more likely to be research-based.

Source: Middle School Coordinator's online course, "Promoting Prevention Through School-Community Partnerships."