Previous projects of the Center include:

Alma, Vida y Corazón
Alma, Vida y Corazón is a train-the-trainer project for Latina women funded through the American Heart Association. This project has trained peer health workers in the South Bay area of San Diego to implement a cardiovascular risk reduction program to family, friends and social networks. (1990 - 1996)

Compañeras En Acción
This three year project was funded by the National Cancer Institute to promote breast cancer screening among Latina women aged 50 years and older. The project incorporated three complementary and interacting levels of education: broadcast media (television and radio spots), narrowcast (project event calendars and newsletters disseminated by community networkers) and group educational sessions conducted by trained peer health workers. Intervention activities were conducted in the southern portion of San Diego County. (1994-1997)

Compañeros en la Salud
Funded through the National Cancer Institute, this three-year, $1.3 million project featured a church-based intervention to promote changes in the areas of diet and women's cancer prevention (including breast and cervical cancers). Peer health workers, or promotoras, within each of 20 churches were trained to provide educational activities and to utilize innovative methods to disseminate health related information throughout the church membership. (1991-1994)

En Acción Contra el Cancer
En Acción - National Hispanic Leadership Initiative on Cancer was the first comprehensive assessment of risk factors for cancer among Hispanic population and among both men and women. Funded through the National Cancer Institute, the mission of En Acción was to empower the Hispanic community with the knowledge and resources needed to prevent and control cancer. San Diego was one of six cities funded under initiative (others are Brownsville, Miami, New York, San Antonio, and San Francisco). (1993-1997)

Evaluation of the AB-75 California Statewide Tobacco Control Program
This $2.3 million project evaluated the innovative and substantially funded California tobacco control effort. The evaluation staff maintained contact with all 61 local health departments, 200 community based organizations, 1000 school districts throughout the state and the statewide media campaign. The tobacco industry's efforts to counter the program were also monitored. (1989 - 1995)

Language for Health
Language for Health promoted cardiovascular health through nutritional education to a low literate population enrolled in English as a Second Language (ESL) courses in the San Diego Community College District. Funded through the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, this was a four-year, $1.6 million project. (1992 - 1996)

Operation Stay Quit
This research project, funded through the Defense Women's Health Research Program, U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, evaluated the effectiveness of two non-obtrusive relapse prevention strategies to help Navy women recruits maintain the non-smoking status achieved during their 8 weeks of recruit training. The study implemented two strategies: an 800-helpline with counselor-initiated call-back and a mailed-materials intervention. (1995-1998)

Picture of Health Mammography Project
This research project, funded by the U.S. Department of Defense, was a mammography facility-based study with the goal of increasing annual screening mammography rates among women aged 50 years and older. Over 2,000 women from 4 San Diego County mammography sites participated in one of three study groups: physician-endorsed reminder letter; mammography facility reminder letter; and the control group. (1994-1997)

Project IMPACT
The Innovative Methods for Peers Actively Controlling Tobacco Project was a peer-led, tobacco prevention and cessation project designed to reduce tobacco use among continuation high school students. This three-year $677,000 project was conducted in conjunction with Vista Community Clinic. (1991-1994)

Project Juarez
Project Juarez was a smoking prevention program aimed at seventh graders in both Tijuana and the South Bay area of San Diego. This three-year $600,000 grant gave further evidence of the Center's abilities to maintain large cohorts of students and schools as well as the extensive bilingual/bicultural capability among staff. (1990 - 1993)

Project S.H.O.U.T.
Project S.H.O.U.T. (Students Helping Others Understand Tobacco) was a 5-year grant funded by the National Cancer Institute. The goal of the project was to reduce both cigarette and smokeless tobacco use among junior high and high school students throughout San Diego public schools. The project trained more than 100 undergraduates to conduct lessons which emphasize social skills training, social activism against tobacco use, and incentives for non-use of tobacco. (1987 - 1993)

Project Salsa
Project Salsa was a 5-year grant funded by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Project Salsa was a nutritional health promotion effort in the community of San Ysidro, California, on the US-Mexico border. Targeting all ages, the project used social marketing and community organization strategies to prevent chronic diseases and other health outcomes related to the purchase, preparation, and consumption of food. Educational materials developed in English and Spanish were used in a variety of programs and settings, including churches, schools, grocery stores, health clinics, and community centers. (1987 - 1992)

Project Sunwise
This project was funded by the National Institute of Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. The goals of the project were to promote skin cancer prevention among children and to promote skin cancer prevention counseling among pharmacists. For Study I, skin cancer prevention education was incorporated into the curriculum of the YMCA aquatics classes for children ages 6 - 9. For Study II, pharmacists received training and feedback on counseling/promoting skin cancer prevention behaviors among customers. Confederates observed compliance with the counseling protocols. (1994 - 1998)

Project T.R.U.S.T.
Project T.R.U.S.T. (Teens and Retailers United to Stop Tobacco) was a $1.2 million, county-wide educational effort to encourage supermarkets, gas station/convenience store, liquor store, pharmacy and independently-owned market retailers to decrease tobacco sales to children under 18 years of age and decrease tobacco advertising inside and outside stores. (1990 - 1996)

Project YO-SHOUT
Project YO-SHOUT (Youth Organizations - Students Helping Others Understand Tobacco) was a tobacco use prevention program based on Project SHOUT, but delivered through community youth organizations rather than schools. Funded through the Proposition 99 - tobacco tax monies, the project incorporated tobacco prevention modules into existing curricula of the participating organizations. 23,500 youth and youth leaders were reached through this project. (1990 - 1992)

Regional Training Center for the Early Detection and Control of Breast and Cervical Cancers
The Regional Training Center was a three-year $1 million grant through the California Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Staff provided training programs to local health department personnel of 12 states for the early detection and control of breast and cervical cancers in low income and underserved women. (1992 - 1994)

Sembrando Salud
Sembrando Salud, funded by the National Cancer Institute, was a $2.6 million program for migrant Hispanic adolescents and their parents. The goal of the project was to develop, implement and evaluate a cancer risk reduction program focusing on tobacco and alcohol use prevention. An important aspect of the project was its links with the Migrant Education Program, San Diego County Office of Education, which provided not only access to their student population, but also a thorough understanding of the population it serves. (1995-1999)

Statewide Immunization Initiative
Funded by the California Department of Health Services, this initiative was comprised of three projects: the Latino and Minority Outreach Campaign; the Immunization Clinic Marketing Project; and the California Coalition for Childhood Immunization. The goal of the outreach campaign was to motivate parents to get their children immunized on time through various media channels. The goal of the Clinic Marketing Project was to develop and implement a statewide, clinic-based, marketing program to improve timely immunization return rates for children under 2. The goal of the Coalition project was to develop and implement a statewide coalition on immunization. (1995 - 1997)