BELIEVE: Better environments leading individuals (towards) excellence and victorious endeavors

The level of violence in urban areas is increasing at an alarming rate. Community residents, leaders, educators, health professionals, law enforcement, politicians and legislators are working together in an effort to stop the violence nationwide. However, no one group or person has identified a solution for this public health issue to date. Residents in these affected communities encounter disruption in their daily lives due to violence; frequently the outcome of this violence is the victimization of innocent bystanders. The destruction of the overall community is the tragic consequence. This public health concern affects all community residents, young and old. For our youth, the loss of friends, family, and neighbors due to violence is preventable. The children of these communities are in desperate need of supports to combat violence and improve their overall quality of life. It is imperative that a support system be put into place to help the children who reside in these communities overcome barriers that exist due to violence. These support systems must ultimately allow them to maintain a positive sense of self esteem, self efficacy and self respect. This graduate public health nursing student devised a primary prevention strategy based upon a thorough community assessment.Better environments leading individuals towards excellence and victorious endeavors (BELIEVE) is a public health initiative that encourages children and youth to believe in themselves and their accomplishments. The target population for this program are youth aged 5-13 who attend an afterschool program in a urban faith based organization. BELIEVE is a pilot program implemented over twenty weeks. Healthy habits, life skills, and relationship strategies are critical components of the BELIEVE program. Interactive sessions, role play, and group gaming are key strategies used. Anderson and McFarlane's Community as Partner Model was utilized as the conceptual framework because this model views the relationship between the nurse and the community as an equal partnership to empower the community. Recommendations for replication in other settings will be highlighted.