Sarah Chilenski has worked in prevention research and evaluation for more than 20 years. She became interested in the field after working with children led her to question the role that communities play in youth development and how community programs can be a source of support for those in need.
As Associate Research Professor, Dr. Chilenski focuses on how communities, schools, and universities can collaborate in the pursuit of quality youth prevention programming. Her current applied community research projects focus on:
- community collaboration
- technical assistance for community coalition models supporting public health
- dissemination of evidence-based programs and sustainability, and
- community context-related youth outcomes.
Dr. Chilenski has played major research roles in projects such as PROSPER and Communities That Care, and leads the process evaluation for the Evidence2Success® framework. The recently-funded Coalition Check-Up project will further her work by testing the feasibility of proactive, regular, relationship-based, data-informed, and coalition-driven technical assistance system for community prevention and health promotion coalitions. She aims to examine youth outcomes of community prevention activities while using data to help empower participating communities.
Dr. Chilenski has authored 25 peer-reviewed journal articles that have appeared in American Journal of Community Psychology, Prevention Science, Evaluation and Program Planning, and Journal of Research in Rural and Community Development, among others.
I am passionate about promoting strong community collaboration to promote healthy youth development.
- Sarah Chilenski
Sarah Chilenski has worked in prevention research and evaluation for more than 20 years. She became interested in the field after working with children led her to question the role that communities play in youth development and how community programs can be a source of support for those in need.
As Associate Research Professor, Dr. Chilenski focuses on how communities, schools, and universities can collaborate in the pursuit of quality youth prevention programming. Her current applied community research projects focus on:
- community collaboration
- technical assistance for community coalition models supporting public health
- dissemination of evidence-based programs and sustainability, and
- community context-related youth outcomes.
Dr. Chilenski has played major research roles in projects such as PROSPER and Communities That Care, and leads the process evaluation for the Evidence2Success® framework. The recently-funded Coalition Check-Up project will further her work by testing the feasibility of proactive, regular, relationship-based, data-informed, and coalition-driven technical assistance system for community prevention and health promotion coalitions. She aims to examine youth outcomes of community prevention activities while using data to help empower participating communities.
Dr. Chilenski has authored 25 peer-reviewed journal articles that have appeared in American Journal of Community Psychology, Prevention Science, Evaluation and Program Planning, and Journal of Research in Rural and Community Development, among others.
I am passionate about promoting strong community collaboration to promote healthy youth development.
- Sarah Chilenski
PROmoting School-community-university Partnerships to Enhance Resilience (PROSPER) 
Coordination and Dissemination of Technical Assistance to Support Rural Communities 
Building Interconnected Prevention Systems to Address Substance Misuse Using PROSPER 
Randomized Trial of a Data-driven Technical Assistance System for Drug Prevention Coalitions (Coalition CheckUp) 
Growing Evidence-Based Prevention in Pennsylvania to Address Opioid Misuse 
Support to Adapt and Test the Feasibility of Implementing the Evidence-based Head Start REDI with Preschool Native American Children and their Families 
Longitudinal Effectiveness of Communities That Care on Reducing Youth Risk Factors 
Taking a Close Look at the Implementation of Evidence2Success*
Community 'champions' aid coalitions in promoting public health, new study says 
[VIDEO]: Strategies for promoting youth resilience and mental health 
New guide to funding and sustaining prevention in communities 
PRC researcher a co-recipient of the 'Service to SPR' award 
Prevention coalitions benefit from regular technical assistance, new study shows 
Building bridges to improve drug misuse prevention 
Video: Penn State prevention researchers respond to COVID-19 
Society for Prevention Research members weigh in on professional development needs 
Communities That Care prevention system helps to protect youth, study finds
- Initial conditions and functioning over time among community coalitions
Brown, L.D., Wells, R., Chilenski, S.M. (2022). Evaluation and Program Planning, 92.
- Going the distance: Technical assistance to community prevention coalitions and its impact on prevention coalitions over time
Chilenski, S. M., Welsh, J. A., Perkins, D. F., & Hoffman, L. (2020). Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research. Advance online publication.
- Invitation to Pennsylvania substance abuse coalitions to increase member engagement and positive impact on youth behavior
- A road map to quality collective impact programming with fiscal independence: The Providence Children and Youth Cabinet story
Chilenski, S. M., & Chrisler, A. J. (2019). University Park, PA: Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center, The Pennsylvania State University. 28 pp. Annie E. Casey Foundation Grant #212.0235, to PI Chilenski.
- Public health benefits 16 years after a statewide policy change: Communities That Care in Pennsylvania
Chilenski, S. M., Frank, J., Summers, N., & Lew, D. (2019). Prevention Science, 20, 947-958.
- Examining the highs and lows of the collaborative relationship between technical assistance providers and prevention implementers
Chilenski, S. M., Welsh, J., Olson, J., Hoffman, L., Perkins, D., & Feinberg, M. E. (2018). Prevention Science, 19, 250-259.
- Effects of sectoral diversity on community coalition processes and outcomes
Brown, L. D., Wells, R., Jones, E. C., & Chilenski, S. (2017). Prevention Science, 18(5), 600-609. PMID: PMC5510985
- Drug prevention coalition context and capacity assessment: Comparing the United States and Mexico
Brown, L., Chilenski, S., Ramos, R., Gallegos, N., & Feinberg, M. E. (2016). Health Education and Behavior, 43(2), 145-155.
- The value of social capital: What are its outcomes?
Chilenski, S. M., & Summers, N. M. (2016). In T. Gullotta & M. Bloom (Eds.), Social capital: A blueprint for engaging citizens to promote the social and civic health of communities. New York: Springer.
- The power of a collaborative relationship between technical assistance providers and community prevention teams: A correlational and longitudinal study
Chilenski, S., Perkins, D. F., Olson, J. R., Hoffman, L., Feinberg, M. E., Greenberg, M. T., Welsh, J. A., Crowley, D. M., & Spoth, R. L. (2016). Evaluation and Program Planning, 54(1), 19-29.
- Universal prevention exposure as a moderator of the community context: Findings from the PROSPER project
Chilenski, S., Welsh, J. A., Perkins, D. F., Feinberg, M. E., & Greenberg, M. T. (2016). American Journal of Community Psychology, 57(12), 819. doi: 00910562
- Thriving in school: The role of sixth grade adolescent-parent-school relationships in predicting eighth grade academic outcomes
Welsh, J. A., Chilenski, S., Johnson, L. E., Perkins, D. F., Greenberg, M. T., Berrena, E., & Spoth, R. L. (2016, In Press). Youth & Society.
- Pathways to sustainability: 8-year follow-up from the PROSPER project
Welsh, J. A., Chilenski, S., Johnson, L., Greenberg, M. T., & Spoth, R. L. (2016). The Journal of Primary Prevention, 37(3), 263-286. doi: 0278095X
- PROmoting School-community-university Partnerships to Enhance Resilience (PROSPER)
- Coordination and Dissemination of Technical Assistance to Support Rural Communities
- Building Interconnected Prevention Systems to Address Substance Misuse Using PROSPER
- Randomized Trial of a Data-driven Technical Assistance System for Drug Prevention Coalitions (Coalition CheckUp)
- Growing Evidence-Based Prevention in Pennsylvania to Address Opioid Misuse
- Support to Adapt and Test the Feasibility of Implementing the Evidence-based Head Start REDI with Preschool Native American Children and their Families
- Longitudinal Effectiveness of Communities That Care on Reducing Youth Risk Factors
- Taking a Close Look at the Implementation of Evidence2Success*
- Community 'champions' aid coalitions in promoting public health, new study says
- [VIDEO]: Strategies for promoting youth resilience and mental health
- New guide to funding and sustaining prevention in communities
- PRC researcher a co-recipient of the 'Service to SPR' award
- Prevention coalitions benefit from regular technical assistance, new study shows
- Building bridges to improve drug misuse prevention
- Video: Penn State prevention researchers respond to COVID-19
- Society for Prevention Research members weigh in on professional development needs
- Communities That Care prevention system helps to protect youth, study finds
- Initial conditions and functioning over time among community coalitions
Brown, L.D., Wells, R., Chilenski, S.M. (2022). Evaluation and Program Planning, 92.
- Going the distance: Technical assistance to community prevention coalitions and its impact on prevention coalitions over time
Chilenski, S. M., Welsh, J. A., Perkins, D. F., & Hoffman, L. (2020). Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research. Advance online publication.
- Invitation to Pennsylvania substance abuse coalitions to increase member engagement and positive impact on youth behavior
- A road map to quality collective impact programming with fiscal independence: The Providence Children and Youth Cabinet story
Chilenski, S. M., & Chrisler, A. J. (2019). University Park, PA: Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center, The Pennsylvania State University. 28 pp. Annie E. Casey Foundation Grant #212.0235, to PI Chilenski.
- Public health benefits 16 years after a statewide policy change: Communities That Care in Pennsylvania
Chilenski, S. M., Frank, J., Summers, N., & Lew, D. (2019). Prevention Science, 20, 947-958.
- Examining the highs and lows of the collaborative relationship between technical assistance providers and prevention implementers
Chilenski, S. M., Welsh, J., Olson, J., Hoffman, L., Perkins, D., & Feinberg, M. E. (2018). Prevention Science, 19, 250-259.
- Effects of sectoral diversity on community coalition processes and outcomes
Brown, L. D., Wells, R., Jones, E. C., & Chilenski, S. (2017). Prevention Science, 18(5), 600-609. PMID: PMC5510985
- Drug prevention coalition context and capacity assessment: Comparing the United States and Mexico
Brown, L., Chilenski, S., Ramos, R., Gallegos, N., & Feinberg, M. E. (2016). Health Education and Behavior, 43(2), 145-155.
- The value of social capital: What are its outcomes?
Chilenski, S. M., & Summers, N. M. (2016). In T. Gullotta & M. Bloom (Eds.), Social capital: A blueprint for engaging citizens to promote the social and civic health of communities. New York: Springer.
- The power of a collaborative relationship between technical assistance providers and community prevention teams: A correlational and longitudinal study
Chilenski, S., Perkins, D. F., Olson, J. R., Hoffman, L., Feinberg, M. E., Greenberg, M. T., Welsh, J. A., Crowley, D. M., & Spoth, R. L. (2016). Evaluation and Program Planning, 54(1), 19-29.
- Universal prevention exposure as a moderator of the community context: Findings from the PROSPER project
Chilenski, S., Welsh, J. A., Perkins, D. F., Feinberg, M. E., & Greenberg, M. T. (2016). American Journal of Community Psychology, 57(12), 819. doi: 00910562
- Thriving in school: The role of sixth grade adolescent-parent-school relationships in predicting eighth grade academic outcomes
Welsh, J. A., Chilenski, S., Johnson, L. E., Perkins, D. F., Greenberg, M. T., Berrena, E., & Spoth, R. L. (2016, In Press). Youth & Society.
- Pathways to sustainability: 8-year follow-up from the PROSPER project
Welsh, J. A., Chilenski, S., Johnson, L., Greenberg, M. T., & Spoth, R. L. (2016). The Journal of Primary Prevention, 37(3), 263-286. doi: 0278095X
