In this opening session of the 2012 Blueprints for Violence Prevention Conference in San Antonio, TX, Dean L. Fixsen, PhD, a leading expert in evidence-based program (EBP) implementation research and Senior Scientist at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, discusses the history of the evidence-based program movement. Dr. Fixsen clearly outlines essential components to EBP programs and how these components correlate to outcomes.