About Project C.O.P.E.
Communities Organizing for Prevention and Empowerment (C.O.P.E.)
Who we are:
Project C.O.P.E. began in 2005 with a 5-year federal grant that was awarded to Montclair State University’s Department of Family and Child Studies. The 5-year Minority AIDS Initiative (MAI) grant was awarded to the Department of Family and Child Studies at Montclair State University. Project C.O.P.E works to prevent substance abuse and the spread of HIV among African American and Latino youth in Paterson, NJ.
As a collaborative effort between the Department of Family and Child Studies in the College of Education and Human Services at Montclair State University, and more than 30 direct service providers, Project C.O.P.E. has been on the forefront of helping transform the way an economically disadvantaged, urban community is served by increasing the capacity of local community-based organizations. With the support of our partners for the past decade, our prevention team has provided prevention workshops and healthy living curricula to more than 7,000 youth in a variety of settings throughout the community, such as schools, after-school programs, community-based organizations, and drop-in centers. The planning, development, and implementation of this initiative was a joint effort among many community-based organizations that have a long-standing history of providing culturally resonant service delivery throughout the city of Paterson.
Our Mission:
Project C.O.P.E.’s mission is to increase the capacity for integrated prevention activities throughout the Paterson community and decrease the rates of HIV infection and substance abuse among Paterson’s youth.
What We Do:
We provide comprehensive workshops and digital outreach on topics such as: substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, STIs, Viral Hepatitis (HV) healthy relationships, tobacco prevention, career development, and gang awareness.
Project C.O.P.E’s prevention specialists work with individuals and families connecting them with community resources, providing information about risks in the community and working with them to avoid these risks.
