Committed to the community: the Atlas HIV Prevention Program

Community-based organizations face multiple challenges in implementing preventive intervention programs that are both evidence based and sustainable under limited resources and staffing. This article describes the development and preliminary evaluation of the theory-based Atlas HIV prevention program, which includes a unique service-learning component and capitalizes on a committed core of volunteers. Supporting research is presented for the effectiveness among the volunteers of service learning and popular opinion leader approaches; the Atlas program was developed using these principles, in alignment with state and federal HIV prevention strategies. Nearly 40% of the Atlas volunteers were retained for more than 2 years, and 25% have served more than 3 years. During their tenure with Atlas, the volunteers demonstrated improved knowledge of HIV transmission and prevention and increased sexual efficacy, and nearly all had been tested for HIV. Community-based organizations are encouraged to incorporate service-learning when implementing prevention programs and develop committed volunteers in order to increase the effectiveness and sustainability of their prevention efforts.