“Healthy People provides science-based, 10-year national goals to improve the health of all Americans. » (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Healthy People 2020, 2011). It acts as a national guide for disease prevention and health promotion. There are various objectives and goals that serve as guidelines to achieve overall health improvement. “Educational and Community Programs” are one of them. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the primary goal of these programs is "to increase the quality, availability, and effectiveness of educational and community programs designed to prevent illness and injury, improve health and improve quality of life. (HHS, Healthy People 2020, 2011). This particular goal of Healthy People 2020 focuses on increasing the number of educational and community programs aimed at raising awareness about disease prevention and health among every individual. It focuses on educating them on various topics, including chronic illness, substance abuse, injury and violence prevention, to encourage and improve health. It focuses on increasing the quantity and quality of these programs so that a wider population can benefit from the program and acquire effective knowledge to lead a healthy life. An individual's state of health is influenced by the person themselves and their environment. Community programs will make health education available outside of the traditional health care setting, capable of influencing various units of the community, including an individual, a family, or the community as a whole. An educational program organized in a community setting such as a school, workplace, health care facilities and the community that...... middle of paper ...... meets the goal of 'increase the quality, availability and effectiveness of educational and community programs designed to prevent illness and injury, improve health and improve quality of life. Works Cited Anderson, Et , & Mcfarlane, J. (2011). Community analysis and nursing diagnosis. The community as a partner: nursing theory and practice. (6 ed., pp. 170-214). Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Healthy People 2020. (June 29, 2011). Educational and community programs. Accessed March 12, 2014, from http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/overview.aspx?topicid=11 United States Department of Health and Human Services, Healthy People 2020. (June 29, 2011). About healthy people. Accessed March 12, 2014, from http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/about/default.aspx