Community of Caring

Grades: K-12

Contact: Community of Caring, Inc.
1325 G Street NW
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: 202/393-1251
FAX: 202/824-0351

The primary focus of Community of Caring (CoC) is to strengthen the decision-making skills that young people need to avoid the destructive behaviors that lead to early sexual involvement, teen pregnancy, substance abuse, delinquent behavior, and dropping out of school. This program was initially developed for secondary schools and has now expanded into a fully K-12 character education program.

Students that participated in the program gained knowledge of risks and consequences related to early sexual activity and other high-risk behaviors; increases in positive attitudes toward sexual and substance abstinence and the value of school and family relationships; lower rates of pregnancies, smoking, drinking, and disciplinary actions; and gains in grade-point averages, school attendance, and enrollment status. The program also reported that students considered as higher-risk their peers for early pregnancy and substance use were more likely to postpone sexual activity until after high school and less likely to use alcohol or tobacco.

US DOE Expert Panel, Promising Program