Centre County Communities That Care® strives to apply prevention science to community planning by:

• Focusing on promoting positive youth development and preventing problem behaviors by identifying predictors of both problem behaviors and positive youth outcomes as demonstrated in research across a number of fields
• Helping communities to collect the right data to identify local community needs, to prioritize local risk and protection predictors for youth development, and to match prioritized risk and protective predictors to tested, researched, and nationally recognized prevention programs, policies, and practices to target prevention efforts effectively
• Aiding communities in implementing and evaluating an outcome-focused community action plan that increases accountability
• Promoting the practice of the Social Development Strategy to buffer young people from risks, to promote healthy behaviors, and to immerse youth in environments that are supportive and nurturing
• Following a public health approach that engages the community as a whole in altering the social environment to change attitudes, behaviors, and the conditions that place children at risk for adolescent health and behavior problems