"I support building a living digital library of the lives of people living with, or affected by, HIV/AIDS… It is a great and important vision. I am hopeful that potential funding partners will embrace the utility of this endeavor and step up to ensure its success.
Thomas Coates, Ph.D., Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases
UCLA, David Geffen School of Medicine
Co-founder of CAPS (Center for AIDS Prevention Studies-AIDS Research Institute at UCSF)
“The images and biographies shared through “The Positive Project” sensitize viewers to the urgency of HIV/AIDS in this country. It is a powerful tool in the ongoing fight against HIV/AIDS, and will help make the epidemic a memory in a lifetime.“
Paul Kawata
Executive Director
National Minority AIDS Council
“The digital format maximizes the flexibility and utility of the interviews for prevention, care, education, and training purposes since it can be accessed and specifically tailored for targeted audiences. Building a workable digital database is the innovative essence of The Positive Project.”
John Anderson, Ph.D., Director
American Psychological Association, Office on AIDS
“This is an especially wonderful resource for people who live outside of major cities where there is no face to face information and support available.”
Craig Thompson, Executive Director
AIDS Project Los Angeles
“I believe the importance of this project is that it will be extremely useful in raising public awareness about HIV/AIDS, improving the quality of care and quality of life through education and training as well as useful in reducing stigma.”
Kenneth Lichtenstein, M.D.,
Chairman Department of Medicine, Rose Medical Center
Professor of Medicine, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center
“I applaud the developers of The Positive Project for their innovative approach and believe it could reinvigorate our HIV approaches in many powerful ways.”
Bob Bongiovanni, Manager of Technical Assistance and Training STD/HIV Section
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
“I was convinced from the beginning that such a project had broad and exciting implications for use in varied education settings….Inclusion of the personal stories has been very effective and more relevant to our audience than conventional educational methods of conveying this information.”
MeriLou Johnson, MPA, MSW, Director
Colorado AIDS Education and Training Center
“Our medical and social work providers have been very impressed with the work of The Positive Project… Our clients often express a desire to learn about the experiences of others affected by HIV but frequently are not comfortable meeting other clients in person.”
Elizabeth McFarland, M.D., Director
The Children’s Hospital
Children’s Hospital Immunodeficiency Program
“This is something we in the business of saving lives have been waiting for, as the stigma has made many infected individuals hesitant to share their stories. But it is just these stories that will effectively illustrate the fact that HIV/AIDS is still very much with us today.”
Deirdre Maloney, Executive Director
Colorado AIDS Project
“The video segments compiled by The Positive Project clearly have the potential utility for use in health promotion interventions, including medication adherence interventions and safer-sex interventions for people living with the virus. Perhaps the greatest potential application of the video segments would be for newly-diagnosed persons who are isolated, frightened, and lack knowledge about HIV.”
Eric Benotsch, Ph.D.
University of Colorado at Denver Health Sciences Center
Department of Psychology
“The Positive Project is an exciting, innovative educational tool that can enhance HIV prevention and care issues through utilization of peer role models…With adequate funding The Positive Project has the capacity to grow and access many individual and communities effectively in the fight against HIV disease.”
Peter Ralin, MS, President
AIDS Coalition for Education
Other Professional Endorsements:
Mayor John Hickenlooper of the City and County of Denver
Proclaimed July 16, 2004 The Positive Project Day in the City and County of Denver
Ian Stulberg, LCSW, Manager
Education, Training and Operations
Mental Health Services
Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center
Andrew Bernstein, Ph.D.
Licensed Psychologist, South Orange, New Jersey
Lisa Capaldini, M.D.
Internal Medicine, San Francisco, California
