Primary health care is an effective means of improving health for all while at the same time containing rising health care costs. In an effort to improve the health of one community, the Cardiovascular Health Education Program (CHEP) was implemented in a study of 44 eighth-grade adolescents. The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of the CHEP on adolescents' cardiovascular health knowledge. It was found that participants' knowledge improved significantly, whereas a control group showed no comparable improvement. This study showed that community-based health education programs for targeted populations can influence health knowledge.