NEST FOUNDATION
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Mission Statement
Nest’s mission is a cultural paradigm shift in violence prevention & mental wellness education and services for youth. To achieve this, we offer curricula, educator training, family engagement materials, and a mandatory reporting software and policy solution for schools and districts. Not only do our programs help reduce acts of violence, but also promote improved community mental health outcomes for youth and foster equitable access to education.
About This Cause
Nest is also the only violence prevention program to directly address the interconnectedness of harm, while cultivating skills to combat overlapping risk factors. Most student-facing prevention programs are deficit-oriented and fear-based, focusing mainly on secondary prevention models, warning signs, help-seeking for victims, and safety skills. While our programs contain these vital elements, we integrate primary prevention to stop perpetrating behaviors before they begin. In short, not only do we teach children how not to be victimized, but we teach them how not to perpetrate violence and harm. This distinction sets our work apart and reinforces the importance of breaking cycles of violence; we weave together violence prevention and social emotional learning to prevent both perpetration and victimization, promoting youth well-being. We view education and social emotional competencies as essential to reducing harm– including bullying, relational violence, sexual violence, and environmental harm. Nest’s comprehensive curricula are evidence-based and have been developed with experts in violence prevention, education, and the environment. We employ a trauma-informed and strengths-based approach that builds students up and nurtures skills in emotional agility, accountability, empathy, and gratitude, all proven to increase mental wellness. Our methods are linked to improved attendance and academic performance, fewer incidences of violence and bullying, decreased mental health issues and suicidal ideation, and improved school climate assessments. We also see earlier identification of victimization and problematic behaviors by youth, and greater likelihood of interventions and disclosures. These outcomes create a safe and welcoming environment where students can prosper and have equal access to education. Nest’s work involves four main initiatives: 1) K-12 Prevention Education: You Belong Here, our comprehensive program featuring over 90 developmentally appropriate lessons, contains 8 to 12 lessons tailored for each grade level. The curriculum integrates engaging media, interactive activities, and opportunities for civic engagement to help students understand and practice violence prevention and mental wellness. This structured, age-appropriate approach not only builds essential life skills such as emotional regulation and empathy but also encourages students to apply these skills in real-world contexts, fostering a safer and more supportive school environment. 2) Educator & School Staff Training: Nest provides intensive training, giving educators the expertise, familiarity, and confidence necessary to deliver Nest programming effectively and to adapt it to their specific classrooms. Teachers who complete the course stay engaged to help sustain an ecosystem they have helped build to prevent violence and harm. We also offer compassionate response training to all members of the school community, ensuring that when students disclose experiences of violence, they are met with understanding, empathy, and support. This training is crucial because it creates a safe environment where students feel heard and validated, which is essential for their healing process. By equipping educators and staff with the skills to respond appropriately, we help foster trust and resilience, and reduce the potential for further trauma. 3) Parent/Caregiver Materials & Community Engagement: We offer educational materials, workshops, and events for parents, families, caregivers, and the wider community, recognizing that engaging these key stakeholders is vital to the success of violence prevention education. When parents and caregivers are actively involved, they reinforce the lessons learned in the classroom, creating a consistent message of safety and respect at home. This collaboration strengthens the efficacy of a holistic approach by ensuring that students receive continuous support in all areas of their lives. Additionally, by engaging the broader community, we build an ecosystem of support that empowers everyone to contribute to a culture of nonviolence and mutual care, making it easier for young people to thrive. 4) Victim Assistance & Response (VAR): VAR provides direct support/resources to students in schools whose disclosures of violence prompt official reports. Schools often do not have the capacity to provide trauma-informed and ongoing support after instances of harm, and current policies and procedures limit educators in effectively responding to student victims. Our VAR program closes feedback loops in order to get students the support they need quickly and effectively. Since 2004, Nest has been on the front lines of addressing the vulnerabilities that expose young people to harm & exploitation. In 2009, we premiered Playground, the first feature-length film about child sex trafficking in America, produced by Abigail Disney and George Clooney. Building upon what we learned, we created curriculum in 2014 to prevent sexual violence through teaching healthy relationships. Since then, we have continued to evolve, leveraging our expertise to develop specialized curricula focusing on comprehensive violence prevention and mental wellness for children and youth. We collaborate with esteemed educational partners from institutions including UT, MIT, Harvard, NYU, Stanford, UCLA, and Columbia University, in order to ensure the efficacy and credibility of our programming. Working with thought leaders and experts with lived experiences serves to both center the voices of survivors and also inform our programming with the most up-to-date research in violence prevention, neuroscience, child development, pedagogy, and other related fields. Our toolkit of solutions helps not only students and teachers but members of the wider community including counselors, parents and caregivers, policymakers, direct service providers, and law enforcement. Nest programming has been implemented throughout the country, reaching thousands of educators and over 3.5 million young people to date.